Dragneel Brothers
by acochran5
Summary: This is a bunch of oneshots that all have Zeref in them. Natsu will be in most of them and Mavis in a few as well as other Fairytail characters. At the beginning of each oneshot there will be a summary of what that story will be about and maybe a warning at the top. Ships will include Zervis, NatsuxZeref- in those they WON'T be brothers, and Nalu. Those are the main ships. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Thank you for clicking on my story, and here is the summary for this oneshot.**

 **Summary: Zeref and his little brother Natsu have never gotten along. But now their parents have sent them on a day trip together with no supervision. Zeref thinks that the rest of his sanity will be gone by the end of the day, and Natsu just hopes he'll live to see the sunrise.**

 **Warning: Psychotic Zeref and mentions of killing. Don't try this at home kids.**

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"ZEREF!"

Zeref flinched as he heard that awful voice. His parents were out. That meant that Zeref was supposed to take care of his 5-year-old little brother. But supposed to and going to, were two different things in his opinion. Plus, the fact that something as vague as "taking care" of someone, could be interpreted in an infinite amount of ways. Zeref's way just happened to be locking his brother up in his room so he could do whatever he pleased. He had convinced himself that if he locked Natsu in his room then he'd have peace and quiet. Well, whichever part of his brain gave him that idea was undoubtedly stupid.

"SHUT UP!" Zeref shouted. There was another scream and then pounding. Zeref growled under his breath. "WE MADE A DEAL! ZIP IT!" Zeref was rewarded with a higher-pitched scream.

"LET ME OUT!"

"I CAN'T! I ATE THE KEY." When it got quiet Zeref thought he might've persuaded Natsu to quiet down. Then, however, he heard a warrior cry and a loud thud. Zeref gritted his teeth and thrummed his fingers on the desk.

"IF YOU DON'T LET ME OUT, I'M TELLING MOMMY!" Natsu screamed.

"FINE! TELL MOM, SEE IF I CARE!" Zeref then thought long and hard on his actions. Another thump, more screams. Then he heard something shatter and jumped up from his seat. "This means war." He growled under his breath. Zeref would not call himself a "great" big brother, or even a good one. In fact, he was probably the worst. His list of crimes didn't end with him locking his brother in his room. Oh no, the list went on for miles. He schemed of ways to get Natsu in trouble with their parents. Overall, he was seen as "the good child" though he most certainly was not. He taunted Natsu's abilities and tried hard to knock his self-esteem to zero. He even paid kindergarteners to tease his brother. Although "paid" meant giving them candy. Most of all, he wanted to see Natsu fail. To see him hit a low, so low, that he wouldn't be able to recover. To put it simply, he wanted to test his brother's limits. He didn't, however, want Natsu to break a window, fall out, and kill himself.

Although, he'd be lying if he said he didn't often ponder about life as an only child. He did wonder whether this was a trick, to get him to open the door, but decided that Natsu wasn't clever enough to come up with something like that. So, he unlocked the door and walked inside. "Natsu?" he wondered, looking cautiously around the room. His brother seemed to be nowhere in sight. Zeref vaguely wondered if Natsu had jumped out the window and killed himself. He didn't think Natsu was completely above such a thing. In fact, he didn't think very highly of his brother in general.

This thought however was proven wrong when a warrior cry sounded behind him and he felt something jump on his back. Zeref was 99% sure that this being was Natsu. "Get off me this instant!" Natsu bit him. now, despite how horrible that seemed it was a common occurrence in the Dragneel household. Zeref was the plotter and Natsu was the monster. Neither hated each other, yet each would've been happier had they not had a brother. "Why you!" Zeref ripped Natsu off him and glared at the raging beast.

"I told you to let me out of here. You didn't do what I said!" Natsu screamed and struggled in Zeref's superior grip. Zeref scoffed,

"And just why would I do anything you tell me? You're and idiot and a brute, I would never listen to a single thing you ever told me to do, animal." With that he dropped Natsu. It was true Zeref thought of Natsu as more of a wild wolf than anything else. But in Zeref's opinion, if someone decided to act like an animal they should be treated as one. Zeref had even wanted to make Natsu hunt for his own food and often tried to set it up so Natsu would have to. Unfortunately, that was one experiment that would probably be impossible.

"I may be a beast, but at least I'm not a heartless swine!" Natsu screeched pointing at him.

"Oh yes, but I can pretend to care. Isn't that why mother and father like me better? You on the other hand, will always be a beast. You will always act like one. I honestly wonder how long we'd have to stay in the woods for you to join a wolf pack." Zeref smirked and tapped Natsu's nose. His brother tried to bite him but was unsuccessful. "See? Beast."

With Natsu re-caged Zeref got back to his school assignment. They were useless in his opinion, but the school had expressed time and time again that they didn't care about his opinion. "And they call this a democracy." Zeref mumbled.

When his parents arrived home, he knew he was going to hate what they said next. He knew because he and his parents had completely opposite ways of thinking. And because of that whatever made his parents happy conversely made him miserable. Unfortunately, his parents looked ecstatic. "What is it?" he asked, trying to sound interested. He could tell he was failing because of the look his parents exchanged.

"Well, we thought that since you and your brother have not been getting along, you should spend the entire day together tomorrow." Zeref blinked slowly, not quite comprehending what they were saying. He and his brother. Together? That did not seem quite right. Was this what people called hallucinating? Because this could not be so.

"What do you mean, haven't been getting along? We've been getting along perfectly."

"ZEREF! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Zeref gave a tight laugh.

"Hah, we're just playing a game. He doesn't really want to kill me." Just then Natsu walked in with a baseball bat. He paused in the living room and hid the bat behind his back.

"Uh, hi mommy, hi daddy." Natsu gave a nervous chuckle. His parents raised an eyebrow.

"This game looks too dangerous. I don't think you two should be playing it."

"I was just about to tell Natsu that." He turned to his brother. They didn't like each other and went out of their way to make the other miserable, but they were still able to communicate with facial expressions and body languages amazingly well. Natsu could tell immediately that for once they had a mutual interest and that mutual interest included playing along with Zeref's act.

"Uh… yep. He was, we were playing a game." Natsu laughed nervously. "We were playing uh… uh…"

"Baseball." Zeref said giving his brother a look that was insulting. Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Uh yeah, I was just about to get the ball. As for what I said earlier, what I meant was that I'm going to kill Zeref… in baseball. Meaning that I'm going to beat him… hard." Natsu glared at Zeref, and Zeref gave him that smirk.

"Riiiiight, anyway honey, as I was telling your brother, we decided you two should spend time together."

"WHAT!" Natsu screamed. His mother raised an eyebrow. Natsu cleared his throat and kicked the carpet nervously. "Um… I mean, what?"

"You two are going to have so much fun. Brother bonding time. I remember I used to love doing that with my siblings." Their mother sighed dreamily. "We even got you tickets for some feelings booth. It's a small booth where you sit RIGHT next to each other and talk about your feelings."

"Oh mom, you didn't have to." Zeref said, still smiling, but feeling his palms start to lightly sweat.

"Yeah, you REALLY didn't have to." Natsu grumbled. Their mother just smiled.

"You two are going to have so much fun. I made a list of activities for the two of you to do. first, you're going to go eat breakfast at 7:00, here."

"7:00?" Natsu asked. Zeref rolled his eyes. His brother was in bed until at least 8, since he didn't have to be at school at the crack of dawn like Zeref did. 7 was nothing to him.

"Yes, yes. So, after breakfast you'll go to the library. They're going to have a meet and greet with all kinds of authors. You'll both love it."

"Not likely." Natsu muttered under his breath. Zeref however, looked fairly happy.

"And then you'll go to this play. It has dragons and everything." Natsu seemed to get a little more excited. Zeref sighed. plays weren't really his thing, but at least he didn't completely hate them. "And then lunch. After you'll go to the park by the library. You know that one Zeref. Then maybe the ice cream or the public swimming pool. And of course, the feelings booth. You two MUST go there." Mom said. "You two will have loads of fun, I promise. Just the two of you." Both brothers had to admit that the day sounded like it could be fun, except for the fact that they'd be doing all of these things TOGETHER.

Natsu sighed and Zeref didn't look like the happiest person on earth, which was strange since that was always the act he put up with his parents since he was 6 years old. "Alright mom. I'll see you all tomorrow I suppose. Goodnight." Zeref said.

"Yeah, night." The brothers went upstairs together and at the top they kind of stared at each other. After a minute of staring they each went to their rooms without another word.

The next morning Natsu awoke to his brother's face. It wasn't a completely pleasant way to start the day. Natsu scowled. "Get your ugly face out of my room." Zeref scoffed.

"Tell that to my classmates because they don't seem to think that way."

"That's because they haven't seen the rotten core because of the red skin blinding them." Natsu snarled. Today, he knew, was going to be a VERY long day. They were out of the house and in the car by 6:50. Natsu didn't feel safe with Zeref driving. He couldn't trust him to get them safely to breakfast or anywhere else. After all, he was pretty sure his brother was calculating the likely hood of Natsu dying in a car crash. Natsu was positive that his brother had been out to murder him since the day he was brought home from the hospital. he actually thought it a miracle that he had survived this long with Zeref out to get him.

"We're almost there, Natsu." Zeref told him after 30 minutes.

"Oh, did you schedule the car crash for later, swine?"

"Maybe I did, beast." The names they called each other weren't particularly meant to be insults. It was merely what they referred to each other as. Once they were seated and had ordered the table fell into silence. They never really had anything but insults to spew at each other, and somehow neither thought that behavior would be welcome in the restaurant.

"So… what've you been doing?" Natsu asked. he and silence didn't mix very well.

"Nothing." Zeref answered. It seemed he found the designs on his napkin very interesting, because his brother was staring at them like they held the answer to life's greatest mystery.

"How do you feel?"  
"Fine."

"What do you think of today's weather?"

"Good." Natsu slumped in his seat and put his face in his elbows. Zeref obviously did NOT want to converse with Natsu. If his brother didn't put in the effort, then why should he?

Zeref, on the other hand, was thinking. Thinking about why his parents were doing this now. He knew that his parents weren't particularly perceptive, after all, they fell for even his most poorly crafted snares. Zeref thought that it was most likely that they just thought of it and decided to do it. That was all.

When they were out on the road again Zeref started to wonder if he could somehow crash the car in such a way that Natsu would die and he would live? see, the main reason why Zeref didn't want Natsu to jump out his window and die, was because Zeref wanted to be in control of his fate. He knew he was crazy, how could he not know? It was just that being allowed control of whether his brother died or not was, for some reason, utterly appealing to Zeref. He glanced back in the rearview mirror at his brother, swinging his legs and kicking the passenger seat. Even if he was given the chance to end his brother's life, would he? He wasn't sure. Zeref did not hate his brother, yet he knew that he despised everything about him. there was a difference, he supposed, in hating what someone does, and simply hating THEM.

The library turned out to be a bust. Their mother obviously got the date wrong on when the authors were coming. They weren't coming until next Saturday. The play however, was not so bad. It was about a dragon who captures the princess and the knight who rescues her. it was such a cliché that Zeref almost fell asleep. His brother, however, had been enthralled.

Afterwards they got hotdogs and Zeref watched as Natsu played in the park. He secretly hoped Natsu would fall off one of the monkey bars and land on his head. But, he didn't. "Zeref, I'm tired of playing in the park." Natsu groaned lying down on the bench.

"I don't care." Zeref said firmly. He found that sitting in the park while the sun no doubt gave him a sunburn, wasn't the worst thing to do after all. Natsu sighed and laid there for about five minutes before he bolted upright again.

"Zeref, can we get ice cream." Zeref didn't intentionally want to bring his brother any joy. He had just been thinking about bribing kids to push Natsu off the tower structure after all. But he had to admit that ice cream didn't sound like the worst thing. "Well swine? Are we getting some or not!" Natsu sounded exasperated. Zeref felt that if he couldn't deny Natsu joy, then he would deny him knowledge.

"You'll have to wait and see." Zeref said, getting up and walking back to the car. Natsu glared at him. "And if you bite me, I'll make sure we get into a car crash before we can reach my intended destination." Natsu let out a snarl and hopped into the backseat.

"Fine."

"Very good." As they were riding along Zeref noticed that it was already 4. The day had passed quicker than he had thought it would. Zeref had to admit that, despite spending the entire day with his brother, it hadn't been completely horrible.

"ICE CREAM!" Natsu shrieked when Zeref pulled in. he rolled his eyes as Natsu scrambled out of the car and into the shop. They ordered and ate the ice cream.

Afterwards they were walking towards the car when Natsu remembered that they were supposed to do something else. "Hey, weren't we supposed to do something else today?" Natsu asked his older brother. Zeref shrugged, unsure.

"Now that you mention it, we were." They paused in the parking lot, thinking. "Oh right, it was that feelings booth." They each looked at each other and shivered.

"Why don't we just tell mom and dad that we did it. They'll never know otherwise." Natsu said.

"Wow, that's actually a promising idea. I didn't know your tiny head was capable of such a thing." Zeref made a face and Natsu snarled at him.

"Whatever." They got in the car and were driving back home. Natsu was still swinging his legs. At last, Natsu looked at him. "Hey Zeref." His brother glanced back at him in the rearview mirror.

"Yes?"

"Do you… do you hate me?" Natsu asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I was just wondering." Natsu said with a shrug. His brother was silent staring at the darkening road. It was quiet for such a long time Natsu wondered if his brother had somehow forgotten the question that Natsu just asked.

"No, I don't hate you." The answer startled Natsu and he jumped.

"You… you don't?" Natsu asked, confused.

"Of course not. I dislike you, and everything you do. but I don't hate you. I'm your brother. I can't hate you. No matter how much I want to. What about you, do you hate me?"

"No, I don't." Natsu said, staring at him. after that the car fell silent. "Did we just make the car our feelings booth?"

"No, YOU just made the car our feelings booth." Natsu shrugged.

"You know Zeref, I actually kind of love you." It was then that Zeref almost got in a car crash unintentionally.

"What?"

"I'm not repeating what I just said." Then, they continued driving in utter silence. It was about ten minutes before Zeref spoke.

"Kid… I actually kind of love you too... maybe" Zeref was answered by a snore. Natsu was sleeping. He glanced in the mirror again and decided that Natsu was, despite being a beast, was at the very least, a cute beast. He kept driving, deciding to take the long way home. Natsu's head was smushed against the window when Zeref got out of the car. Zeref took a picture too. He told himself it was for blackmail purposes, but he also thought that he had perhaps just taken the new photo for his home and lock screen. Zeref also knew that Natsu would never forgive himself for letting Zeref see him in such a vulnerable position. Zeref took some time to study his brother. When he wasn't screaming and kicking and making a nuisance of himself Natsu was actually rather adorable.

Zeref picked Natsu up and took his sleeping brother inside the house. His mother and father were out that night too, urgent business call, the note on the counter had said. Zeref rolled his eyes. His mother and father had likely devised this, so they would have to spend as much time as possible alone together. At that moment he felt Natsu shift in his arms and burrow into Zeref's shoulder. Sleepy eyes blinked open. "Are we home already?" he asked in a tired voice. He had probably forgotten he was supposed to be unpleasant around Zeref.

"Yeah buddy, we're home." Zeref said quietly, taking Natsu up to his room.

"Zeref, why are you being so nice to me?" Natsu asked. Zeref placed him down and pulled the covers over Natsu's tiny body.

"Because I'm your brother." Zeref said quietly and kissed Natsu's forehead. "Go to sleep now." Natsu nodded and closed his eyes. He had a light, cute smile on his face. He sat there for a while longer, stroking Natsu's soft pink hair. Maybe this trip had been good. And maybe his parents had actually had a good idea. that made him think the world must be ending. "Goodnight, Natsu." He was not answered back. He was about to close the door when Natsu spoke.

"Stay with me." He whispered quietly. Zeref blinked at him, unsure how to respond. His brother, for once, acted like he was five. Natsu was finally acting his age! Or maybe he only never acted his age around Zeref, because he couldn't. maybe this was what Zeref had been missing all along. He had always thought his brother was simply a beast, but maybe he'd had something to do with that. Natsu reached for him now and Zeref decided there was no harm in letting this occur ONCE. So, he crawled in bed and allowed his brother to curl up beside him.

"I love you, Natsu." Zeref told him. Natsu stared at him and then smiled and hugged Zeref tightly. Zeref sighed and hugged his brother's tiny body towards him. he wondered if Natsu would even remember any of this tomorrow. He didn't think it mattered. Zeref had decided that for now, he would hold Natsu as close as he was able for as long as he was able. He could always crash the car tomorrow.

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 **A/N This is my first fanfic so, I hope I did it right! Reviews and constructive criticism appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Here's one more chapter for today. First off, I want to tell you why this is rated T. There may be some violence in some chapters and character death too. Nothing to graphic.**

 **Disclaimer (forgot to do this last chapter): I do not own Fairytail. Fairytail Belongs to it's respective author Hiro Mahima.**

 **Now for the summary: 6 teenagers are thrown into detention on Saturday. They are all very different, or so they think. However, soon they will learn that just because they're different doesn't mean they can't be friends.**

Natsu Dragneel was in detention. Detention of all places. And for what? For punching Gray Fullbuster? The guy had completely deserved it, he'd started the fight by calling Natsu names. But now here he was, and Gray wasn't, because Natsu had thrown the first punch, and Gray was better at playing innocent. The only good thing about being there, was that Lucy Heartfillia was there. At least, despite the fact that he had nothing else to do, he could stare at a pretty face. Natsu wasn't particularly girl crazy, but he'd be insane to say that Lucy wasn't the cutest girl in school.

Lucy Heartfillia couldn't believe the unfairness of this situation. She didn't mean to sound like a brat, but who cared if she skipped ONE day of school? That was okay, right? Right? Sure, it was. of course, in Lucy's opinion, everything she did was right. Because if it wasn't right, then why would she do it? Lucy didn't like to think of herself as a mean girl, but she didn't go out of her way to be nice either. She figured that if someone wanted to look at perfect behavior, they should look at Erza Scarlet. Lucy wanted to gag when she thought of being THAT perfect.

Mavis Vermillion thought that staying late in the school Library was no reason to earn detention. Granted, she did sort of sneak in, but that was beside the point! Wasn't a school all about learning yet you couldn't step foot in the school after everyone went home. Mavis was infuriated by what such actions implied. You couldn't simply close learning, could you? Honestly.

Jellal Fernandes did not care that he was in detention. He could tell that everyone else in there thought that this was completely unfair. He, on the other hand, knew that he completely deserved being in detention. They'd caught him vandalizing school property. Jellal didn't think himself a criminal though, he thought that this school should be proud of his artistic nature. Alas, this was not the case.

Erza Scarlet was mortified about the reason she was in here. It was an unfortunate accident (non-accident) on her part. It was her first time in here, and she was very determined to make it the last. Erza was in here because someone had knocked over her cake. That, in itself, wasn't the problem. Yet, that was exactly the problem! She'd lost it and beat the kid up. It was not her proudest moment, and Erza never wished to repeat that dreadful action.

Zeref Dragneel. Yes, he was Natsu's brother. Though he was perhaps the opposite of him. He was in this dreaded place to make sure his little brother stayed out of trouble. It was probably the lamest reason to be in detention ever. But that didn't matter because he was the lamest person in the school. So, anything he did was, by association, lame. He accepted that.

These, completely opposite set of students, just happened to be in detention on the exact same day. And it might just change who they were. Even just a little bit. "Good morning everyone!" Natsu yelled and plopped into the seat next to Lucy's. she rolled her eyes and contemplated switching seats. Natsu, despite being popular, was a total dork in Lucy's opinion. Though, she doubted anyone ever took anything he said seriously, so she wouldn't be the first.

Natsu looked around. It seemed he and Lucy were the only ones there, at the moment. Then his eyes settled on his brother. Had Zeref gotten in the car with him and his mom? Natsu didn't remember. His brother had always been kind of a ghost, so Natsu doubted the teacher who was watching over them would even notice him, in the back. Then, it was Erza, the scariest woman in school. Natsu had to admit that Erza was beautiful, but he would never have the guts to say it to her face. Erza could be… an assuming type of person. After her was some long, blonde-haired weirdo. Natsu didn't know her name. and then there was Jellal. Natsu wondered for a moment if he should just run away. Jellal and Erza, Student president, and biggest bad boy of the school. Together. In the same room. The two of them were going to tear the rest of them apart. Everyone else seemed to know it too with the way they all shifted uncomfortably in their seats. "Well hello, hello miss Scarlet." Jellal said with a smirk, sliding in the seat next to Erza. Erza, for her part, ignored him and stared straight forward. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" Jellal exclaimed, his hand touching Erza's. Erza turned to him with a vicious glare and slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" she snarled. Jellal smirked and withdrew his hand. It seemed he'd only wanted a form of reaction from her. he then went back to looking stoic as Erza had moments before. the formerly calm president, however, looked like she was going to murder someone. And that someone was going to be Jellal in the next few seconds.

Fortunately, the teacher arrived within the next few seconds, so she arrived at detention instead of a crime scene. All hopes of Natsu running away went out the drain. Their teacher for detention was Ms. Strauss. She was almost as scary as the president herself. Natsu was probably going to die within the next 9 hours of his life. "Good morning students! I'm here to explain the rules of detention. I know some of you are first-timers." She gave a pointed look in Erza's direction. "Now, here in detention we sit in our seats. We don't talk, and, to put things simply, we don't do anything! Does everyone understand?" she asked with a delightful smile. For some reason, in detention, that smile was even creepier than usual. They all nodded anyway and Natsu leaned back in his chair. He noticed that they were oddly grouped together. He and Lucy were sitting together. And Jellal and Erza of all people were sitting next to each other. That weird, blonde girl was sitting by herself, and his brother was still in the back, completely unnoticed by anyone else. There were times when Natsu grew jealous of Zeref having space to himself. Zeref could probably get away with murder if he wanted too, with the way no one even knew he existed. If no one knew you existed, then how could they suspect you? They couldn't, end of story. Mira had left for her office telling them she would know if they misbehaved. Natsu didn't doubt it.

The first ten minutes all of them were utterly bored. Then Jellal looked like he decided, who cares if Mira's watching? And promptly left his seat. "Hey, what are you doing? Ms. Strauss told us we couldn't get out of our seats!" the blonde weirdo hissed. "Don't you think you're in enough trouble?"

"Well, blondie, you're also breaking the rules by talking, aren't you?" Jellal said, smirking. Erza turned and gave Jellal one of her infamous glares. It said, sit down right now before your body's too broken to commit such a feat. Erza's glares, Natsu found, were very expressive. Jellal just gave her another smirk and walked out of her reach. "Watcha ya gonna do, Scarlet? You gonna break the rules? Come punch me? Hm? I can't hear you." Erza clenched her fists and turned straight forward. She was NOT going to give him the satisfaction of making her of all people, break the rules. "Aw, you're no fun, Scarlet." Jellal said. "Why don't you… get out of your seat." Natsu watched in horror as Jellal physically picked Erza up. She growled and struggled to get free. Jellal was at least 5 inches taller than Erza and easily held her off the ground.

"Let me go!" she growled. Natsu thought that Jellal just might have a death wish.

"Would you two stop acting like children?" Lucy said, turning in her seat and watching them with a very annoyed expression on her face.

"Is everyone out to die today?" Natsu asked himself.

"Well I'm sorry princess. I forgot that FUN wasn't in your vocabulary."

"At least I have a vocabulary." Lucy snapped back. Jellal narrowed his eyes.

"Is there something your trying to tell me?"

"Oh Jellal, you're so stupid it's almost cute." Lucy sneered. Erza rolled her eyes.

"And you say we're acting like children." The two girls glared at each other.

"Can't we just all get along." Natsu tried but was unsuccessful. All three of them ignored him.

"They can't get along because each of them has egos the size of whales." The blonde weirdo said. She had a book out. Natsu wasn't sure how she snuck it passed Mira, but Natsu had new respect for the girl.

"WHAT!" each of them cried, glaring at the girl.

"Don't shoot me for speaking the truth." She said, her hands up. All of them were glaring at her, Natsu was whistling in the front of the room, and Zeref was busy, not being noticed.

"Who are you anyway?" Lucy asked, her hands on her hips.

"My name's Mavis Vermillion."

"Hmph, what's your crime?" she wondered. Mavis glared at her and turned to face the front of the room.

"I'm not telling you." Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." Lucy said and sat back down in her seat.

"Now put me down, Fernandes." Erza growled.

"Oh really?" and then he dropped her. Erza landed on her feet, whirled around, and kicked him in the shin. Jellal winced but refused to scream in pain like he wanted too. He'd forgotten how hard Erza could hit.

Then they all sat down and were silent. "So…" Natsu said, turning to Lucy. Silence and Natsu did not mix together. "What did you do to get here?" Natsu asked.

"None of your business." Lucy said, staring at her fingers like they were the most interesting things in the world. Natsu sighed and sat back. After five minutes of sitting there he let himself fall out of the chair. He could tell the rest of the students were staring at him, but Natsu didn't care. He couldn't sit in one place for very long. It never went well for anyone around him if he tried.

"Hey!" Natsu exclaimed, sitting up. "Why don't we do a friendship circle." Lucy turned to him, looking disgusted.

"A friendship circle?" Erza asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, we could play like, truth or dare. Except without the dare. So, we can get to know each other better." Natsu said, feeling pretty proud of himself for coming up with something like that.

"Ugh, no thank you." Lucy said.

"Princess, why don't you do us all a favor, and stop acting like you're so high and mighty." Jellal said. He smirked when Lucy shot him an infuriated glare.

"I am not acting like I'm high and mighty." Lucy snarled and turned away from him. settling her hands on her desk Jellal could tell she was smirking. "There's no need to act. I am high and mighty. Especially to pigs like you."

Jellal slammed his fists on the desk. "Why you…" Jellal snarled. Erza put her hand on his arm.

"Don't get so worked up Fernandes. She isn't worth it." Erza told him.

"NOT WORTH IT!" Lucy screeched quietly, whirling on Erza.

"That's what I said, wasn't it? Or is your mouth so loud you can't hear over your annoying, screechy voice." Mavis snorted. Natsu, despite himself, let out a laugh that turned abruptly into a cough. Jellal made no attempt to hide his sniggers, and had anyone known he was there, they would've seen Zeref smiling quite broadly. Apparently, Lucy wasn't the only one who could scald people with her burns.

"How dare you!" Lucy screeched hysterically. Her mind was obviously reeling from the insult because all she could do was splutter unintelligibly, unable to come up with a response.

"Are you trying to say something Miss Heartfillia or are you not intelligent enough to form one coherent sentence." Erza added coolly, her dangerous eyes focused on Lucy's doe ones.

"Fine, let's do this friendship circle thing." Lucy grumbled. So, they all gathered in a circle.

"I'll go first, since this was my idea." Natsu said. They all nodded. "So, Lucy, what's your favorite color."

"Yellow. Because it's pure, unlike other colors." Lucy gave a pointed look at Erza's red hair. "But I won't name any names because unlike some people, I'm not a tramp." She then looked at Jellal.

"Being a tramp and not naming names when you were obviously talking to Miss Scarlet, has no correlation whatsoever." Zeref spoke up for the first time. Everyone jumped and looked at him.

"Who's this, and where did he come from?" Jellal asked.

"I'm Zeref and I've been here the entire time." Everyone was silent.

"Wow… I didn't even notice you." Mavis said. She was slightly annoyed because she noticed almost everything, and missing this dark-haired boy was a huge blow to her ego.

"Hah! I knew it. None of you noticed him!" Natsu burst out laughing. They all looked at each other.

"You noticed?" Erza asked.

"Well yeah! He's my brother after all. Although I'll admit that sometimes I forget I have a brother…" Natsu trailed off.

"Well, if this is like truth or dare, then it's my turn, right?" Lucy asked. Natsu nodded, although he was kind of scared.

"So, Erza, have you ever hit it off with someone?" Lucy asked, smirking.

"Would you care to elaborate."

"Have you ever had a boyfriend, gotten kissed, etc."

"Yes…" Erza said.

"To what?"

"Both." They all stared at her. Perfect Erza Scarlet had a boyfriend and got kissed. Natsu felt that maybe his entire life had been a lie and Erza should be the new "It" girl.

"Who was it?" Lucy asked excitedly.

"That wasn't part of the original question. Now, I believe it's my turn. Zeref, how do you feel about nobody ever noticing you?" Zeref shrugged.

"I don't really mind, I guess. Although, sometimes it can get kind of lonely. When people forget I even live at my house. I just… don't have a commanding presence. Sometimes, I wish I was Natsu."

"Why?"

"Because everybody notices you. For once I wish somebody would just notice if I'm standing right beside them. I almost wish I was even unpopular! I'm so invisible that I don't even get bullied! No one realizes that I exist even though I'm standing right in front of them…" Zeref sighed and slumped forward.

"I… never realized." Natsu said quietly. Natsu never thought about how hard it would be to make friends if he was invisible. Sure, he would've been able to commit murder but… what was the point if you were invisible no matter what you did? "Sorry."

"It is no big deal." Zeref smiled softly. "Mr. Fernandes…" Zeref had to say his name a few more times before Jellal's head snapped towards him.

"Yeah?"

"Where did you give Miss Scarlet her first kiss?" everyone was speechless. He hadn't asked if they'd ever dated, or if they were together. It was like he just knew.

"Um… at…" he cleared his throat. "At a pottery class." Natsu's mouth dropped open. The thought of the biggest bad boy in the school doing something as mundane as pottery class was probably the biggest shock he'd had that day. Natsu must've made his disbelief fairly clear because Jellal glared at him.

"What? I like art. Why do you think I'm always vandalizing the school? It's in my artistic nature." Jellal gave them a charming smirk. Erza, on the other hand, was flushing bright red.

"ZEREF!" she cried.

"I am sorry, but it was better than Ms. Heartfillia asking, is it not?" Erza didn't say anything. Jellal, obviously feeling brave, draped his arm around Erza. For her part Erza, for once, didn't screech and slap his arm away. It looked like she was too frozen to do anything of the sort.

"So, looks like it's my turn." Jellal said. "Mavis, why are you so boring? Seriously, why don't you lighten up once in a while?"

"Boring?" Mavis all but screeched. Jellal shrugged.

"Well, just because I don't like to break the law does not mean I'm boring." Mavis said with a roll of her eyes. "Anyway, my turn." Jellal rolled his eyes convinced that was not an answer. "Natsu, what did you do to get in here."

"I guess it is about time we all confess about why we're each here. I'm here because I punched Gray in the face, though he totally deserved it. What about the rest of you?"

"Well, I'm in here because I decided to redecorate the halls of the school." Jellal said with a smirk.

"I ditched." Lucy said. She looked rather proud of admitting that. They all turned to Mavis with raised eyebrows. Mavis rolled her eyes. "I bet you're in here because you snuck in the library after hours." Lucy added. They all laughed at that prospect.

"I… snuck in the library after hours." Mavis whispered.

"I'm in here to make sure Natsu does what he's supposed to… I'm failing pretty, miserably aren't I?" they all nodded.

"Yep."

"I'm in here because I beat up the kid that knocked over my cake in the cafeteria." Erza said quietly. She was the only one of them that sounded remorseful about why she was here.

"Wow… that's totally you Scarlet." Jellal said smirking. Erza glared at him and finally shoved his arm off her shoulder. Jellal crossed his arms and settled back with a disappointed look on his face.

"You just got put in the doghouse, man!" Natsu exclaimed, laughing. Jellal gave him a look that could murder him. Natsu's laugh turned into a cough rather quickly and he looked away.

"Did you say something, Dragneel?" Jellal asked tightly.

"Hm… I think I said you got put in the doghouse." Said Natsu. When Jellal's eyes narrowed even more. "Oh, that was a rhetorical question." Natsu said quietly. He cleared his throat.

"Mhm. Yep, it was completely and utterly rhetorical." Jellal said. "And if you want your face to remain straight then you better not talk to me again."

"Don't speak to my little brother that way, you hooligan!" Zeref growled. His eyes were a bloody red. They all looked at each other. Zeref cleared his throat. "… Please." He added, a meek smile coming to his face. They all raised their eyebrows.

"Is your brother, by any chance, bipolar?" Mavis asked.

Natsu shrugged. "How am I supposed to know why? I didn't even know he existed for like… eleven years of my life. and then one day some strange kid was in my room, talking to me. I didn't believe he was my brother till I was 13… yeah. So, don't ask me whether he's bipolar. I doubt anyone knows but him."

"I'm not bipolar." Zeref mumbled. "I just can't hold my anger in ALL the time." Zeref said. "… But I am socially challenged." Zeref added.

"I'm a glutton!" Natsu blurted and then clapped his hands over his mouth.

"How, aren't you like, the school's football quarterback?" Natsu crossed his arms.

"Just because I'm not fat doesn't mean I'm not a glutton. What about the rest of you?"  
"I have a growth disorder." Mavis said quietly.

"So THAT'S why you're so tiny!" Jellal exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, and what about you, buddy? What deep, dark secret do you have?"

"I… I have a drinking problem…"

"Like you drink too much milk?"

"What are you, five? He means alcohol, dork." Lucy said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh yeah, well what about you, princess? Did you get a nose job?" Jellal teased.

"NO! let's see, I guess since the rest of you are sharing your deep dark secrets, I can share mine… I like books! A lot, actually." She said quietly. "And… I like to write, and actually have this inner nerd in me." After her proclamation she was breathing a little harder. "And you, Erza?"

"I… I'm not perfect. I have serious anger issues, and more than once, I've let them get the best of me… like when I caught Fernandes cheating." She growled, glaring at him.

"I didn't cheat!" Jellal cried. "I've told you time and time again, she came on to me!"

"And yet you let it go on. You didn't shove her away! And you always wanted to keep our relationship a secret." Erza was standing now. "WHY!" she asked. "Was your reputation more important than our relationship!"

"NO! your reputation was more important than our relationship. I did it to protect YOU! Just what would people have said if they saw us walking down the halls together?"

"Oh, please Jellal, just when has my status ever mattered more than any relationship I have."

"I know you don't care Erza… that's why I had to care enough for the both of us…" he said quietly. "It's not just about what people would have said. What about when I get detention? What about when I get in fights? Erza… I care about you too much to drag you down with me."

"Don't give me excuses Fernandes. I know perfectly well that I could've been dragged down. I'm not as gullible as to think I could change you into a better person. I know that only you can do that Fernandes. But I still could've helped. Jellal…" he looked at her. she hadn't used his first name in a long time. "I wanted to support you, to help you. Because I know you want help, it's just that you aren't going to let anyone close enough to give it to you."

Later everyone was back in their seats. Though, Mavis and Zeref were together, discussing all kinds of books and formulas that the rest of them could never hope to understand. They looked like they could be good friends. Natsu was glad things were working out. Especially since Lucy wasn't being so stuck up anymore. "Hey guys…" Natsu said, turning to them. "What's going to happen. When we go back?" they were all silent. "If we talked to each other… like if I talked to Mavis. What's going to happen?"

"I think we should stay friends." Lucy said. "I mean, you guys no more about me today then my friends since Kindergarten know." They all looked at each other. That, coming from Lucy, was big. She'd even started conversing with Mavis. About books they each liked.

"This has been the best detention ever." Jellal admitted. Erza elbowed him.

"Don't beat around the bush Jellal."

"Okay, okay! Everyone, me and Scarlet-." She elbowed him again. "-I mean Erza, are going to give it a second shot!" he cried. They all cheered.

"Um, guys…"

"Lucy let's go out!" Natsu cried. She smacked his arm.

"Not in your life, dork!" she giggled.

"Guys."

"You two do make sense though." Mavis said.

"GUYS!" they all turned to Zeref.

"Yeah, bro?"

"Ms. Stauss is coming this way." Zeref said quietly. They all panicked and quickly got back in their seats.

"Is everything okay in here?" Mira asked. they all nodded rapidly. "Okay…" Mirajane said. "Well, this has probably been one of the quietest detentions I've ever had. You guys did great!"

"Wait… you're making this speech like it's time to go." Natsu said, confused.

"Look at the clock, dear." Mirajane said kindly. Natsu did so. The entire day had already passed.

"You're all free to go!" Mirajane exclaimed and went back to her office. They all looked at each other.

"I… guess I'll see you guys Monday?" they all nodded. "Good. Hey, let's write Ms. Strauss a note." Natsu exclaimed.

"But who should write it?" Erza asked.

"Well you're the girl with the perfect handwriting." Lucy said, smirking. Erza smiled slightly.

"Alright, well, what do we want to write?"

"How about this."

Dear Ms. Strauss,

Detention today has changed our lives. We're grateful to have spent time with each other.

Sincerely, Fairytail

"Is there any particular reason why we decided to call it Fairytail?" Mavis asked.

"Well, you named it." Erza said. "We should be asking you." Mavis smiled.

"It was the title of one of my favorite books. It was a place where all kinds of people met and went on adventures together. I figured the name suited us, considering." They all smiled at each other. Fairytail. So, in conclusion, Saturday detention was one of the best things that ever happened, to the group of odd people, who decided to name themselves, Fairytail.

 **A/N Thanks for reading. Reviews and constructive criticism appreciated. If you see spelling and grammar mistakes don't be afraid to tell me.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail. Fairytail belongs to the author Hiro Mashima.**

 **Summary: This is about Zeref's outlook on life. His thoughts, feelings, and plans all revealed.**

 **Warning: Character death (not too graphic)**

* * *

Zeref didn't like to talk about his feelings. Not to anyone. He would rather lock it all up inside where no one could reach it. Where not even he could reach it. He liked to pretend things did not bother him, but they did. He was aware that it wasn't healthy to keep everything on the inside like he did, but Zeref didn't care. It was his way of coping. That was why when his village was destroyed Zeref didn't say anything about it. It was just one more secret he decided to keep hidden, where other people could never see how much it hurt him. but he couldn't lie to himself about this secret. So, he researched. And naturally he discovered things he'd never even thought about. He'd never thought about how magic could be used to bring back the dead. But he frowned when he discovered the only way to do this. The only known way to bring the dead to life was if you were a necromancer. Zeref didn't want to animate bodies. He wanted what he made with magic to live. wanted them to have their own personalities and be able to make their own decisions. Zeref would not be so heartless as to merely animate his brother's body.

Zeref was only a child. So, when he started moving deeper into the core of magic he was excited and had wanted to show his teacher's his progress. He had been sure they would be amazed at this discovery. He wrote them a paper on the theories of life and death. On the possibilities of a soul being reborn in a different body. Or if the soul simply died and the people only lived on in the living's memories. But his professors had gawked at his research paper and stared back and forth between him and the paper with a look of horror dominating their faces. "D-did you write this paper yourself?" they asked.

"Yes." Zeref said innocently, waiting for them to be ecstatic, or at the very least be impressed. But they just shook their heads.

"Zeref, the things you're looking at are forbidden. Promise us that you'll stop what you're doing otherwise you could be cursed for breaking the laws of life and death, alright?" Zeref slowly nodded. He understood now. He couldn't tell anyone about what he was working on. They wouldn't understand. They didn't have the mind capacity to understand how wonderful this could be. The ability to bring back the dead. It was unfathomable. So, Zeref went back to his room and continued his research.

Years later he'd found thousands of ways to bring back the dead. But his two most popular ideas were the R-system and the Eclipse Gate. But at that point Zeref realized it could cause millions of other problems were he to go back in time and save his brother. One of the most prominent would be meeting his younger self. Plus, the fact that the reality he was currently living in wouldn't exist any longer. He didn't know what would still be the same and what would be different. It was possible that by going back in time and saving his brother he could create a paradox in which he hadn't even created the Eclipse. And therefore, might not be able to get back to the present, and would be stuck in the past unable to interact with himself or his brother for eternity. So, Zeref scrapped that idea and decided to perhaps use it when he wanted to go into the future, which was much simpler than wanting to go back in the past. Zeref was nearly finished with the Eclipse when he felt his heart pulse and he cried out. His head started pounding sending spasms through his body.

His professor burst through the doors. He heard him yelling but couldn't understand what he was saying above his own screams. When everything cleared he could see his professor, laying there. "P-Professor?" Zeref asked tentatively, slowly walking over to him. Zeref checked his heartrate. There was none, he was dead. Zeref swallowed thickly. He ran out his dorm, he had to tell someone and quickly. But as he stepped out of the dorm he watched with horror. Bodies littered the halls of the school. Zeref was terrified. What had happened? His hands shook, this was what his professors had been trying to warn him about. "The curse of contradiction." Zeref whispered. He had been cursed. He should've known he would be punished.

While Zeref was horrified by what he had done it also gave him however much time he needed to study. But to others, he was no longer human. He was a creature. It was told again and again throughout history. He was The Black Wizard.

Zeref hadn't thought such joy could ever reach him once again. but, as he stared at his younger brother, opening his eyes for the first time in decades Zeref thought it was worth it. "Hello Natsu Dragneel, I am your brother." Zeref said. Natsu did not answer and squinted at him through the glass. He ran his fingertips lightly over the shell, gently, lovingly as he could. His brother was here. Natsu breathed. He was alive.

Zeref hadn't thought that the world was this cruel. It had taken his brother, cursed him, and ripped away his one comfort once he'd finally gotten Natsu back. And now it gave him the dead woman in his arms. This world had taken his family, his love, his hope, his sanity. And it had left him a shell devoid of the things that made him whole, the things that made him human. His entire body shook with grief. Zeref hadn't thought the world was this cruel. He hadn't thought of a lot of things. He thought that maybe this life had decided to give him something to finally live for, that would make his miserable existence worth-while. He had been wrong. Zeref had been wrong about a lot of things.

Being alive for hundreds of years gave him time to reflect on how foolish he'd been just 100 years ago. "Fool." He mumbled to himself. He had been such a fool. He had allowed himself to love. That's why he was now on this island, considering there was nowhere else he could go. Otherwise he'd kill person after person. He'd spent years pushing down the emotions. He'd spent years not feeling anything. He'd spent years learning how to become apathetic towards every living thing in the world. But then _she_ had come. And all his self-control came crumbling down bit by bit. She had made him feel… something. He wasn't sure what, but the important thing was she had made him feel. Now she was dead. Perhaps it was better that way. After all, now he could become the monster he needed to be. But there were no breaks for Zeref Dragneel.

He was staring at him now. The brother he'd lost long ago. His composure was slowly breaking. He hadn't intended to see his brother so soon. "Natsu…" he whispered quietly. Mixed emotions whirled inside him. it was easier than he'd realized, to be unfeeling towards his brother. So easy, it was scary. He'd spent a long time convincing himself to fight Natsu for real. To see if he was up to the challenge. To have one last battle. But Natsu wasn't ready yet… Zeref wasn't ready yet. He tried to convince himself that killing Natsu now would mess up his plans. It wasn't going over to well inside his head.

The black dragon was coming. His existence could mess everything up. But Natsu was on Tenrou. The island would protect him. He would pull through. But Zeref had a feeling that Natsu wouldn't be coming back to Fiore for a long while. "Goodbye… my brother." Zeref whispered upon the Grimoire Heart guild airship. The wind blew on his back, threatening his balance. "I'm becoming even more unstable." Zeref whispered. "Natsu must kill me and the dragon of chaos very soon." Zeref looked at the sky his eyes turning a bloody crimson. "Or this world will crumble." He said ominously. Cringing Zeref took a few steps back. It was becoming harder to keep himself sane. So many ideas and possibilities ran through his head. "Death is easier than living." He reasoned. Perhaps that was why the theory that only the strongest survived came into existence. People didn't die because they were physically weak. They died because their will to live was overrode by the desire to die. Zeref smiled bitterly as he thought of this. It was too bad this body was too stubborn to truly die. But he thought that perhaps, in more ways then one, he had died a long time ago.

So, Zeref waited patiently for years to come and go. The desire to be rid of this world and his steady hatred for humans growing stronger with every passing day. He saw how cruel they were to one another. Saw mistakes repeated again and again. the cycle of humanity continuing with each agonizing breath that left his body. And then he took another breath.

Now it was time to put his plans into actions. He had gone through several strategies, and in the end, he realized that if he overwhelmed them with such devastating numbers, and his airships weren't placed completely foolishly then there was no chance of Mavis being able to come up with a sound strategy to defeat him. she would probably tell her guild that if they believed they could win hard enough then the power of their emotions would see them though. Zeref snorted at this. There was a time when he had thought the same way. Perhaps he still did. But he wouldn't allow himself to let emotions overtake him. it would be less painful when he set himself up for failure.

The fight was exhilarating. Natsu was so strong and fast. Zeref was glad he hadn't killed him when he was weak on Tenrou island. Zeref had never felt the kind of devastating blows that Natsu dealt onto his weakening body. Natsu had the power of Igneel running through his veins. Zeref thought that perhaps this power was strong enough to kill even an immortal such as him. Zeref had created several life forms in his early days, bent on creating one that could kill him. but Zeref had forgotten what made magic so powerful. Emotions, demons weren't capable of feeling the most powerful of them all. Yes, despite Zeref being the Black Wizard he would be a fool, to live for hundreds of years and still stay oblivious to what made magic strongest. Love. All magic was the one magic. It was acquired through desperation. And it was maintained by love. So yes, Zeref finally figured out what he was missing. The power of being human. So, Zeref made E.N.D, not with intention to be nothing but a monster, but with the intention to be anything but. He'd created E.N.D with the fervent desire to hurt anything that threatened those he cared about, such as Zeref.

So, when Happy tugged Natsu away from landing the final blow Zeref watched with great sadness as he flew away and at the same time it felt like his insides became like lava. He was tired of being patient! He wanted to die, now! He would kill anything else that got in his way. "You want a black wizard?" he growled to himself, slowly stalking toward the Fairytail guild hall. "Fine, I'll give you a black wizard." And when he got there Zeref realized that all he could was sit and wait. All he could do was be patient. So, he tried to push his feelings down again, sat, and waited. The woman he used to love came from the basement. He saw her freeze when her gaze fixed itself on him. "Well, well, well, what reason do you have, being alive?" Mavis simply glared at him.

"I never truly died." She said simply. "And on that note, what reason do you have for being in our guild hall, Zeref!" she spat out his name like it was a curse. Zeref tried to keep up his easy smirk, while on the inside he was crying and begging himself to stand up and ask for forgiveness. But Zeref refused to do this. He'd come too far to back out like a coward now. "No, don't let anything in." he thought to himself, perhaps even mumbling it incoherently under his breath. "Nothing." He whispered.

Now he was extracting Fairy Heart from her. Zeref wasn't quite sure what he'd do with it as of late. After all, there were many things he could do with it. Perhaps he'd use it as a failsafe. In case Natsu wasn't able to kill him like he'd calculated. Watching her strain against the pressure wasn't something he took joy in, but he refused to allow himself to feel regret. So, when she looked at him with a pleading gaze, he turned away. He knew that was unforgivable. He clenched his fists, convincing himself he didn't care.

Now she had escaped and in her place was Natsu, ready to fight. He was giddy and actually laughed. It was a laugh of insanity rather than joy. He wanted to feel Natsu ramming his fists into his flesh, wanted to bleed, wanted the pain. He so very desperately wanted to be human. So that's why Zeref killed him. that's why Zeref killed Larcade. He was done with all the distractions, so when Larcade posed a threat Zeref lost it. Zeref panted, staring at the space where Larcade had once been. He was horrified with himself. His child had been begging for him to stop and he hadn't. admittedly, Larcade wasn't truly his son, but it was still such uncalled-for animosity that Zeref found himself wondering if anything he did had true meaning. Or if it was just the curse, prattling on and inhabiting his healthy body, pushing its former master down into the deepest depths of insanity that had originated from his own mind. Zeref shook his head violently, pushed down his distress and let the insane smile come back to his face. Natsu was staring with horror when he started laughing. His existence was a joke. He felt Natsu punch again, his fists held more fire than before. he was going on about family or something. Zeref wasn't listening. He was stuck in his head, laughing. Laughing on the inside, on the outside. Zeref wasn't sure what was real and what his mind said was real but wasn't real.

Zeref finished the extraction. He had Fairy Heart now. Natsu was using the last of his power. Zeref felt his heart shake and tremble with each hit. "Is the universe even real?" Zeref wondered. He wasn't sure anymore. Maybe it was a dream. Maybe he didn't want to accept reality. He felt Natsu's flames burn through clothes, skin, bones, down to his soul. Zeref, for the first time in a long time, felt a tiny piece of regret. He pushed it down, and, in respite, laughed.

Everything hurt. It was to be expected. Mavis was above him, talking about things that Zeref did not acknowledge. He was in his own world. "Mavis." He whispered. She stopped talking and looked at him, really looked at him. "It's… okay. There's no need for words."

"Zeref, of course there is. There's things I need to tell you before… before you die." She whispered. Zeref shook his head, pain everywhere. He suspected there would be a lot of celebration of the event that made this woman cry. She had always been too good for him. not in a sense of looks or intelligence, or even personality. She was simply too good for him. the way she loved was purer than the purest of loves he'd felt in a long time.

"There's no need Mavis." He whispered. "You see, I died a long time ago. My body is dying… my shell. I've not been here for a long time."

"Where have you been?"

"I've been dead. Elsewhere. Dying the life, I was never able to live." he felt her hands squeeze his rather tightly. "I've been thinking, a lot. I've always thought a lot, but… I've been thinking about my existence." He laughed. At first it was just one, but it was followed my many more. "Great." He thought, "Even in the end I am insane."

"Existence." She echoed… she didn't say anything else. Looking back at him her eyes were filled with many tears. "Do you think in another existence… where we were given a chance. Do you think we could've made it?" Zeref nodded. They definitely would've made it. His existence, his life was meaningless. In this world he'd done nothing worth-while. And in the end, he was laughing. Not from joy, from insanity. There was merely another Zeref in another universe. his life here was meaningless. His attention snapped to Mavis when he heard her start to speak. "But the only Zeref here, in this universe, is you. And Fairytail, which despite what you may personally believe, is good, only exists because you live. face it Zeref, maybe you were cursed because the universe knew that only you could bring something as wonderful and beautiful as Fairytail into this existence. Fairytail brings hope to people everywhere across the world, and that's only possible because you lived every day. Because you're Zeref Dragneel. You're special, dear, and just because you haven't heard it in a while doesn't make it any less true. I agree that maybe some things in this world are meaningless, but your life certainly isn't one of these things."

"You are you. That's all you'll ever need to be. You aren't meaningless. If you were, then I wouldn't love you as much as I do. you've done extremely terrible things, but you've also done extremely wonderful things as well. You were made for great things, Dragneel, and you have most certainly done those things to an even better ability then anyone could've ever expected of you." Mavis said softly. Had he said his thoughts out loud? He didn't remember. He laughed. She smiled sadly, "… Goodbye, my love." Zeref still had that insane smile on his face in his passing. The insane smile summed up all the emotions he'd pushed down for the past four hundred years. In that moment he'd released all his feelings, with someone watching no less. But Zeref found that releasing all the feelings while dying wasn't so bad. Zeref hated sharing his feelings. But maybe, allowing him to release his emotions was the world's way of trying to make amends for brutalizing him all his life. He closed his eyes, "Well played, universe." he whispered softly. "Well played."

* * *

 **A/N Thanks for reading. Oneshots like these are why I chose angst as a genre. There will be many genres besides what I chose as the main 2. There will be funny ones, cute ones, and angsty ones like these. If they're sad like this one I'll probably put a warning at the top, warning you that character death may be on the way. Thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: These are Zeref's thoughts on the main colors of the world.**

Colors. They made up the world he lived in. he found that, there were many more shades than he could ever experience. People told him that the world wasn't black and white, and that there were many shades of gray. Zeref didn't understand this. He agreed that yes, there were many shades of gray. But, there was so much more than that as well.

There was blue. Blue was the color of the sky. He stared at the sky a lot. The people in the world were all very different, yet they had to have some things in common. After all, they all looked at the same sky at night, and in the day. People weren't as different as they liked to pretend.

There was orange. Orange was the color of the sunset. It was beautiful, Zeref thought. People hadn't truly lived until they saw a sunset, covering the horizon with beautiful shades of color… color.

There was pink. The color of his brother's hair. Pink perhaps, might've been his favorite color. His friends would've teased him, telling him that pink was for little girls. Zeref didn't think like this. Pink was a beautiful color, it brought the kind of joy that was rivaled by no other. Pink, he thought, was the color of hearts. And hearts were wonderful things that represented love. And love was beautiful.

There was green, the color of the sea. Zeref had once thought that the ocean was blue but had changed his mind in 2nd grade. After all, people never said sea blue, it was always sea green. Zeref thought that green was the color of happiness. If it wasn't, then why would the dolphins frolic about so happily? Happily, in the sea. Zeref sometimes wished he was born in the sea. Then he might've still been happy.

White was the color of light. They even rhymed. Zeref did not like the light. It blinded him. he didn't like to be blind. But sometimes, on very rare occasions Zeref welcomed the light. After all, the darkness could get pretty boring.

There was brown, the color of the trees. Many thought that brown was a boring, dirty color. Zeref thought that it was simple, and simple things were still pretty, in his opinion. Zeref liked to touch the trees. The trunks were wet and rough. Zeref didn't like the thought of cutting them down. Trees were brown, brown was simple, therefore Zeref liked it.

Yellow, on the other hand, was not simple in the slightest. It was her color. His one love. He hated the color yellow. It was too bright, it was not simple. But somehow, it still managed to fascinate him. it was a complex color. It could be bright and blinding, like the afternoon sun. or it could be soft and beautiful, like her long flowing hair. Yellow was the color of life. she was life. therefore, she wasn't allowed to live in his presence. Yellow was dead to him now, that was for the best.

The first time Zeref saw a rainbow was the only time he saw a rainbow. Zeref found it perplexing that something so beautiful only came after it rained. the color he fell most in love with was the last color. It was overlooked in favor of orange or blue because it was dark. Because of that some people thought it was ugly. Zeref, despite loving yellow, also liked purple. Purple, he thought, had a nice tinge.

Gray. It was a bleak color. It described how he felt about everything. He didn't like to talk about gray. It described the clouds on a rainy day. He didn't like rain. Rain was wet, and Zeref didn't like to be wet. It reminded him to much of the tears he had to constantly wipe off his wet face.

Then there was red. It was one of his most hated colors. Red was the color of blood. And Zeref had seen enough of that to last all the lifetimes in the world. Blood stained his hands. He saw it there every day, it was imaginary, Zeref knew this, but it felt all too real for Zeref Dragneel. Red was the color of ferocity. It was wild and passionate, and, in some cases, it was even beautiful. It was everything Zeref stood against. This was why he hated it.

The last color was black. It was the color of many things, but whenever Zeref heard the word he thought of the black fog that swirled around his feet. Black was the color of his curse, of his soul, of his heart. Black was the color of death and it was the only color that Zeref truly despised. It was his color.

Now Zeref despised all colors. He understood that it was only meant to draw the attention away from how terrible the world was. especially now that there was only one color he knew of. The color he had despised all his life. black was the only color he knew now. He realized they had been right. The world was not black and white. There was only one color. And it had been his world for hundreds of years. The world was black. And black was the absence of color. Therefore, the world itself was colorless.

 **A/N Thanks for reading! If you have any suggestions for oneshots and don't want to write them yourself I'm open to writing them. The only requirements are that the idea has to be rated T or below, and it has to include Zeref. Or, you can give me a prompt you want me to do.**

 **Example: Do a coffee shop prompt.**

 **Ideas are always welcome. Reviews and constructive criticism appreciated. Bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref is out walking peacefully in the woods when he runs into someone unexpected... very unexpected.**

 **A/N I bet you never saw this one coming. If you actually read authors notes and your thinking that you know who Zeref meets I'm going to tell you, you're probably wrong. Anyone who does guess this before reading it... you are psychic.**

* * *

Zeref was out, walking in the forest one day. Everything was silent, everything was still. The grass was green for once and the trees weren't barren like they normally would be. So, unfortunately for anyone who happened to stumble across Zeref that day would most likely either be killed or ignored. Probably killed, as Zeref wasn't feeling too merciful.

Zeref was happy where he was. For everything was perfect. However, just as he thought this something rustled in the bush. Zeref opened one eye, frowning. Was this another foolish human? He had no patience for yet another one.

Then, there was another rustle. Zeref opened both eyes and stood up this time. What was it? Could it be an animal? That didn't seem quite right. Could it be a human? Zeref didn't think it was. A human in a bush was rather absurd after all. Was it not an animal at all? Perhaps some beast or demonic entity. After all, the magic power emanating from whatever was behind that bush was odd. It wasn't like the magic a normal human wizard would wield. He didn't know how to describe it, but it just felt… different.

Just as Zeref decided he could wait no longer; the beast came out of the bush. First, he saw a white paw, then another. He took a few steps back and prepared his magic. This thing thought it could attack him and get away with it? Zeref didn't think so! This monstrous beast would never get the best of him! Of that he was sure. "Puuuuun." He heard from behind the bush. The beast made weird noises as well! Perhaps this beast was not meant to be underestimated after all!

Then, the rest of it came crawling out of the bush. Zeref blinked in confusion at the "beast". It was not a beast at all! "A little… snowman?" Zeref wondered quietly, tilting his head. Ironically, the thing was shaking like it was cold even though it looked like a snowman. "What are you?" he wondered with an amused expression. This little snowman was odd. Zeref wondered vaguely if he should attack it. He hardly looked like a threat, but then again, Zeref looked rather harmless himself.

"Puuuuun!" the snowman exclaimed.

"Your name is Plue?" the snowman nodded and did a little dance. Zeref almost laughed. Not only was this snowman hilarious, but he wasn't actually a threat. Zeref couldn't believe he hadn't recognized that the magic around the entity was that of a celestial body! How stupid of him. "So, you're the gate of the Canis Minor. How interesting. Your actual name is Nikora if I'm not mistaken. I suppose your master named you Plue." The celestial spirit nodded.

"Pun, Pun!"

"I see, so you're lost, are you? Well then, you shouldn't stick around here. I suggest you go find your missing master then." The snowman shook his head. "What do you mean, no?"

"Puuun, Puuuun."

"You're scared." Zeref said flatly and rolled his eyes. "Well then, it's unfortunate for you that I'm busy… being apathetic, although I doubt you know what that word means. Anyhow, since I'm busy I do not feel inclined to help you."

"Pun." The little dog said. Zeref scowled.

"I don't care if you are insulted. And I don't care if you do know what the word apathetic means, because if you did then you would know I do NOT care!

"Puuun!" Zeref's scowl deepened.

"Don't mock me!" the little snowman started dancing.

"Puun, puun, puuuun!" Zeref could not believe just how infuriating this little snowman was!

"OH? OH? Is that how you want to play it? Well fine! If you want a fight… I'll give you a fight." Zeref rolled up his sleeves not caring that they just fell back down again. "You will regret the day you ever crossed paths with me you little snowman!" Zeref growled.

"Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun! (Bring it)"

Zeref sent a humongous death wave at the little snowman. It was probably overkill but Zeref was blinded by pure rage. The little snowman only danced out of the way. "Stay still!" Zeref raged, next sending tiny bolts of fire magic. The snowman did a jete out of the way and then stood tall looking cocky. "You will die, snowman!" Zeref couldn't even describe how ridiculous this all felt. He couldn't beat one of the weakest of the celestial spirits!

With each missed hit Zeref felt his heart start to twinge and frustration set in. Zeref let out a tiny scream of frustration. "Pun, pun? (Give up?)"

"Never!" Zeref growled. But, his actions didn't exactly match his words as he collapsed by a dead tree, panting.

"Pun, pun, pun? (Are you sure?)"

"I'm not giving up, I'm taking a break!" the black wizard snapped and then went limp. He'd used up a lot of magic. His limbs hurt, and his magic power was running low. Plue, or, the little snowman, as Zeref called him, walked over to him.

"Pun."

"Sorry?" Zeref asked. He didn't understand. Plue was winning, he didn't need to say he was sorry.

"Pun, Pun, Puuuuun. (I just want to go home.)"

"Yeah?" Zeref asked. Plue nodded. "Well, I'm sure your master will come by soon. You just have to be patient and wait. You should stay where you are and she'll find you eventually." Zeref told the little snowman. It had been a while since Zeref had talked to anyone. Not that Plue was a person exactly but… At least he was a living creature. The little snowman nodded.

"Puuuun, puuun."

"Yes… I suppose that means you should stay here for now." But if that were so, then Zeref should really be going. Zeref didn't want to be around when his master did finally show up… also, Zeref still felt that fury still inside his heart. Plue was by no means, his best friend and Zeref still didn't like him. That was partly why he was leaving, though he'd never say so out loud.

Zeref opened his mouth to tell Plue that he had to go, but he didn't get the chance. The little snowman crawled on to his lap and rested there. "What are you doing?"

"Puun? (Are you blind?)"

"… No."

"Puuun, puun. (Then you can clearly see what I'm doing.)" Zeref had never gotten burned by a snowman before, but it hurt!

"Shut up." Zeref grumbled. "At least I don't have a carrot for a nose."

"Pun. (That has nothing to do with anything. And I may have a carrot for a nose but at least it's straight."

"My nose is straight you stupid little snowman!" Zeref cried. "I hate you."

"Puun, pun. (Don't be rude just because I have more fans than you do."

"This isn't about the fans!" Plue didn't answer and promptly fell asleep, breathing softly. Zeref vaguely wondered if his curse would kill the little snowman, but then he decided it wouldn't because celestial spirits were not exactly alive, and they could not die.

And even if the little snowman was his archnemesis Zeref supposed that at least Plue hadn't run away screaming. That would've hurt even more. "Puun. (I'm still sorry though.)" He had a funny way of showing it. Zeref honestly didn't think the little snowman was sorry at all!

"Yeah, yeah, I know so just shut up." Zeref said although despite his harsh words the tiniest of smiles crossed his face. He thought that this encounter, while brief, might just help him live another day.

* * *

 **A/N So... yeah, that happened. My dad came up with this one surprising me. I don't like most of his ideas but this one I was like... yeah that sounds awesome! I've never run across anything remotely like this, so I probably made Plue and Zeref a little OOC. But that's to be expected since they never met in cannon. Also, Zeref calls Plue little snowman all the time, because that's what I first think whenever I see him. Anyway, thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism appreciated! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref is in the woods when a small child happens across where he is resting. Who is the child? And why is he here? The kind of life he lives may just shock Zeref into helping the child find a way home.**

* * *

"Who are you?"

Zeref turned toward the voice. It was a young child. "And what are you doing in MY special place?" the child asked, his arms crossed with something similar to a pout crossing his features.

"Oh… I'm sorry, I did not realize I was in your… special place." Zeref told the small child. He stood. He should not be here; this child could be killed should he stay too long in his presence.

"It's okay… I guess." The child said his features twisting into a smile. "I mean, you didn't know you were trespassing Mr., so I guess it's okay." The child walked up to him and stuck out his hand. "My name's Natsu, what's yours?" Zeref was silent. Giving the child his name could prove to be a grave mistake, but Zeref didn't think a child so young would know who he was. At least, not really.

"My name is Zeref." The child's eyes lit up.

"That's such a cool name! I wish I had that name." he said, a sparkle in his eye.

"I don't think you should ever wish for such a thing child. You don't know what you speak of." The child blinked and chose to ignore what he said. Before Zeref could stop him, the child had plopped down beside him. "It's not wise to be near to me."

"Why?" Natsu asked innocently, staring up at him.

"Because I'm dangerous."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a black wizard."

"Why?" Zeref leveled the child with one of his infamous glares and did not give him the satisfaction of answering so the child could keep taunting him with this ridiculous game. "Aw! You're no fun Mr."

"My name is Zeref."

"Why?"

"SHUT UP!"  
"Why?" Zeref groaned in frustration. Never had he met a kid more annoying than this one. He didn't say anything else and lied down on the grass to stare at the night sky.

"What are you doing out so late, child? Shouldn't you be at home?" the kid was silent.

"The truth is Mr.-."

"-Zeref-."

"-I'm lost! I was going through town and I decided I wanted to go to my special place. Let's just say I ran into some people." The boy unconsciously rubbed his arms. If Zeref squinted hard enough he could make out scratches and bruises. "I didn't have any money so…" he trailed off. "Anyway, by the time they left it was dark and I forgot the way back home and now I'm lost!" he burst into tears. Zeref frowned at Natsu. He wished he knew how to help, but he didn't. "And those people said they'd come back for me! Don't leave me Mr.!" Natsu cried and clung to him. Zeref scowled.

"Remove yourself from me at once!" he snarled. The child flinched and started crying even harder. Zeref sighed resignedly. Finally he said, "Do not fret child, you may stay with me until the morning."

"Really Mr.? Thank you, thank you!" he cried, sniffling. Zeref rolled his eyes and asked himself why he'd helped this child. After all, he was only one boy. Why on Earth would he help a child, for nothing in return? He was evil. He should leave this boy here and go on his way. Truly he was doing more harm than good by being here. He could kill the boy in his sleep if he was not careful. The child clung to him his tears dried on his cheeks. Zeref sighed and stared up at the sky. The stars, Zeref thought, were beautiful.

In the morning Zeref left the child. Well, at least he tried to. Natsu was following him around like a lost puppy. Zeref finally whirled on him with a scowl. "It's morning!" he growled. "I said that you may stay with me till morning! Didn't I?" Natsu nodded rapidly. "You see the orange ball of light? It's called the sun. It rises when all the stars go to sleep. Now that there are no stars it is MORNING!" he yelled. The child merely stared at him innocently.

"But mommy told me the sun is a star. That means there is one star. Therefore, it's not morning."

"Don't get smart with me, child! I could've left you for dead last night."

"But you didn't."

"That is beside the point!" Zeref pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to gain some semblance of calm. Slowly he kneeled in front of the child. "It is morning. You must leave, and we can never cross paths again. in the light you will surely find your way home. You can't stay with me any longer. Do you understand?" Natsu's face crumpled and he burst into tears. "Oh no, you are NOT going to persuade me with tears ever again." Zeref's scowl deepened as the tears didn't stop. Swiftly he scooped the child into his arms. He didn't need to fear the curse because at the moment he was too annoyed to love anything about this stupid child. "Now you listen here." He said sternly. "I'm going to take you back to that village myself if I have to. You ARE NOT coming with me, you got that?"

"NO!" Natsu screamed, thrashing in his arms. "NO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME! I WON'T GO BACK!"

"Don't you start throwing a tantrum or you'll wish those thugs had killed you when they had the chance!" Zeref hissed. The child went limp and sobbed harder. Zeref's eyes slowly softened. "Now, don't you want to go back to your parents? I'm sure they're dreadfully worried about you." he asked softer this time.

"I can't! they're dead! I live with a bunch of other kids. And I get hit and I'm always hungry and I'm always getting locked in my room and the other kids all hate me because I have pink hair!" he shrieked and sobbed. Zeref sighed. such annoyances needed to be dealt with.

"I understand you're scared, but you'll be in even more danger if you travel with me, understand?" the child slowly nodded sniffling. "Very good." He said kindly. "Now," he set the child on his feet. "Walk with me." He held his hand out for the child to take. Natsu did and they started walking together, with Natsu leading Zeref in what he hoped was the right direction. Of course, it was very possible Natsu was merely talking nonsense and was unsure of where to lead him. "Natsu, are you sure we're walking in the right direction?" the child paused.

"I think so." Natsu said. "I'm not sure." His eyes filled with tears. "Please don't be mad and hit me!" Zeref was silent for a while. Then he took a deep breath and put on a calm face.

"I'm not mad, and I most certainly am not going to hit you." Zeref told him. "Now come along, I'm sure we'll stumble upon civilization soon." Natsu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded enthusiastically. A smile crossed the boy's innocent features.

"Okay." Natsu squeezed Zeref's hand and started to skip along beside him.

As they were going along Zeref heard rustling around in the forest. A force with malicious intent was near them. Zeref hushed Natsu and pulled him slightly closer as they walked. After a while the presence became more of an annoyance than anything else. He stopped walking and Natsu looked at him with wide, scared eyes. "It'll be okay." Zeref whispered before turning back to the forest. He eyed the trees skeptically and his grip on the child tightened. "Show yourselves, you cowards!" Zeref snarled his eyes darting around the tree tops.

"Well, if you know we're here, then there's no point in hiding ourselves." An entire gang of people came out. It seemed they had surrounded the duo. Natsu let out a scared gasp and clung to Zeref.

"T-these are the people who attacked me last night." Natsu whispered, burying his face in Zeref's robes.

"Let us pass now and I'll consider letting the lot of you live." the gang rolled their eyes and slowly started approaching them.

"As if." Zeref sighed. why must humans be so insistently stupid. Zeref was growing quite tired of humans.

"Well then, it seems I have no choice. Child let go of my robes and run as far as you can." Natsu looked up at him, whimpering.

"But what if you leave me."

"I will not leave you in this forest child. Now go." Natsu sniffed and ran. He did not look back, but that didn't stop him from hearing their pained screams.

"Beating a child, that is one of the cruelest things I've seen humans do." Zeref kicked one of the dead bodies before leaving them in favor of finding that very child. Zeref could only hope Natsu had not gotten caught in the death blast. "Child! Child, it is alright now!" Zeref heard a small rustle in the bushes. He tensed, ready for an ambush. But then Natsu came running out and threw his arms around Zeref.

"I was so scared Mr.! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for them to hurt you too! Hey…" Natsu paused looking him up and down. "You don't even have a scratch! How?"

"I am a very powerful mage. They did not stand a chance." Natsu looked at him in absolute awe.

"You should teach me to do magic. I'm sure I would be awesome at it!"

"I'm sure you would be. But remember, I'm taking you back to your village." Natsu sighed and took Zeref's outstretched hand once again.

They walked through the forest in silence. Neither had another thing to say. But of course, the peace couldn't last when Natsu was around. Soon the child started humming, and then much to Zeref's annoyance, singing. "Would you kindly stop that racket?" Natsu ignored Zeref's request.

"Ooh look at that!" Natsu cried, pointing at the river.

"It most certainly is pretty, isn't it?" Natsu didn't answer him, and instead was running toward the river. Zeref, alarmed, quickly followed him. "Not so fast, you'll fall in! Wait, stop you annoying brat!" Zeref exclaimed quickly catching up to him. Natsu did not listen to his warning in time, tripped, and tumbled into the river. Zeref caught him by his pink hair and yanked him out of the water before he could drift down stream.

"Ouch!" Natsu cried, tears in his eyes.

"OUCH? OUCH! IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF? OUCH! YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Zeref screamed. "YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN SERIOUSLY INJURED! JUST WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Zeref raised his hand to smack Natsu's head but stopped half way because of the terrified shriek that left Natsu's mouth.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll never do it again. Just please don't hit me!" Natsu exclaimed, sobbing. Zeref slowly lowered his hand.

"It is… it is fine. I'm the one who should apologize. It's not right, to smack a child. Now, let's get you dried off. I wouldn't want you to catch your death."

"Mr. you're the nicest anyone's been to me since mommy and daddy died." Natsu said, smiling. If this was what Natsu considered nice then Zeref wondered just how cruel people were being to him. perhaps he should let Natsu travel with him… no! what was he even thinking? Zeref shook his head to clear his thoughts. "It's getting late, Mr." Natsu yawned.

"Yes… we should rest for the rest of tonight." Zeref was silenced by Natsu crawling in his lap and curling into a ball. Zeref resisted the urge to aww at the sight. He was the dark wizard. This child was not going to worm his way into Zeref's heart. Zeref had to make sure of that. Tomorrow Zeref would have to make sure that Natsu found his way home. After, Zeref would most definitely leave. He took a deep breath and looked up at the stars. He watched them all the time.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" the little pink ball whispered. Zeref nodded.

"They are indeed." Slowly Zeref combed his fingers through Natsu's pink hair. "I honestly don't understand why those children don't like your hair. I don't think it to be strange in the least." Natsu snorted.

"You'd be the first besides mommy. Even my daddy thought my hair was girlish."  
"I think it's beautiful."

"That's what mommy would always say… you know what, I'm glad I found you Mr."

"Why?"

"Anyone else would've left me to die of hunger." Natsu said, smiling.

"Oh… I'm sure that's not true."  
"It is." Natsu said firmly. He flipped around and snuggled into Zeref's chest. Zeref sighed and continued to look at the sky. He stayed awake that night, just to make sure that no one ambushed them.

The next morning Zeref woke Natsu up rather early. He was determined to find Natsu's village that day. Even if they had to travel all day to find it. "You're going home today, child. And nothing is going to get in my way. You are not to run off today you understand?" Natsu sighed and nodded.

"Alright." The child said reluctantly. Then his eyes flashed annoyance. "Hey, wait just a minute. You're not the boss of me." Natsu cried, crossing his arms. Zeref raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" he asked. Natsu nodded, glaring at him.

"I'll run off if I want!"

"I see. Well then, if you're going to do what you want then I'm going to do what I want."

"What do you want?" Natsu asked excitedly.

"To stay here and take a nap." Natsu frowned.

"But you have to come with me." Zeref gave him a questioning look.

"Oh, so, you can do whatever you please, but I can't?" Zeref asked.

"Yeah!" Natsu exclaimed. Zeref rolled his eyes and lied down on the forest floor.

"You're not the boss of me child. I'll do whatever I please if you are." Natsu pouted

"That's not fair!" he whined.

"Hm… life isn't fair now, is it?" Zeref said.

"You're mean!" he cried and stomped his tiny foot. Zeref rolled his eyes.

"Alright, enough games. Come with me before I make you." Zeref said coldly, standing. Natsu growled and took Zeref's hand. "No running off, you hear me?"

"Yes Mr." Natsu said with a sigh.

"Very good." Zeref said smiling. As they walked Natsu hummed and sang and danced. He did cartwheels and ran in circles. He tried to climb trees and would've even done a back flip off one branch if it weren't for the warning look Zeref had given him. "Would you stop fidgeting all over the place." Zeref growled, clearly annoyed.

"But I'm bored!" Natsu groaned. "Running around and playing games is fun." Zeref rolled his eyes.

"If by fun you mean a complete waste of time then I undoubtedly agree." Natsu rolled his eyes and grabbed Zeref's hand again.

They continued walking for the whole day before they finally found the village. By that time Zeref had been forced to carry Natsu because the boy had crashed a few hours ago. "Here we are." Zeref whispered to Natsu.

"No… I don't want to leave you." Natsu cried. Zeref looked at him somewhat sadly.

"It's okay child. Why don't we sleep here tonight, and you can go home tomorrow? Does that sound good?" Natsu sighed but nodded. Like he'd been doing for the past two nights Natsu curled up in Zeref's lap and Zeref ran his fingers through Natsu's hair.

"Goodnight Natsu." Zeref whispered softly. Natsu stared at him in mild surprise before a sleepy smile crossed his face. Natsu wrapped his arms around Zeref's neck and whispered.

"Goodnight Zeref." Before sleep claimed him.

The next morning Zeref was gone.

* * *

 **A/N Hi again, one more update for today. So, I don't really remember how I made this one... but I do remember it was supposed to be WAY different then how it turned out! But, I'm happy with the results so I guess that's what matters. I like the idea that Zeref and Natsu are brothers, but I can also picture Zeref being a sort of father-figure, and helping Natsu out when no one else will... you know, like family! Reviews and constructive criticism are deeply appreciated!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref is the leader of an infamous gang, and Larcade is his son. When Larcade messes up his father is furious. Larcade however, takes his punishments in stride and looks to move forward and regain his fathers favor. What he doesn't expect is that his "mistake" is stealing his father's attention! Will Larcade's father ever love him again? Or is Larcade stuck as second best forever.**

* * *

"What do you want from me!" Natsu asked, scared. Zeref gave this small child a once over.

"This is what you bring me? A child?" Zeref asked in annoyance. The people in question shrugged. "Well I don't want the child, I want the parents. They're the ones that owe me money."  
"The child's parents are dead." Someone said, frowning. "We thought the child would be the next best thing."

"Did you now." Zeref let out a frustrated growl. "Child get over here." The child clambered over to him as quickly as he could. "What's your name?"

"N-Natsu." He stuttered softly. Zeref sighed and glared at his "team".

"Well, what are we to do now? You should've just left the child there." Zeref groaned. "Now we can't let him leave in case he reports back to the authorities. If he does that then everything could be ruined and we all could get arrested. Do you have any idea how terrible would be?" Natsu whimpered.

"Don't hurt me please." Zeref glanced back at Natsu. Zeref had forgotten that Natsu was there.

"I won't hurt you, you haven't done anything wrong." Zeref turned to the group of people that brought Natsu back. "You three on the other hand." He scowled. He turned to the smallest, his son. "Larcade, you of all people know better." Zeref snarled.

"I'm sorry, father." Larcade shrunk back from him with his head hung. Zeref sighed.

"It's not alright. The lot of you must be punished. You two," he turned to Dimaria and Brandish. "Three days in the dungeons. As for you Larcade, I would like to see you in my office tonight."

"Yes sir." Larcade whispered. Zeref turned toward Natsu.

"Now come with me." Zeref held out his hand and smiled as gently as he could at Natsu. Natsu smiled back and took his hand.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Somewhere."

"Yeah but where exactly?"

"Well, you'll be staying with us, so I'm taking you to the room you'll be staying in."  
"Okay!" Natsu said, clearly overjoyed. Larcade took a few steps forward.

"Father-." He started nervously.  
"Not now Larcade." His father said tightly. Larcade hung his head again and went back to his room.

Later that night there was a knock on Zeref's door. "Enter." Zeref said, knowing full well who would come see him at this late hour. Larcade had probably been avoiding his office for as long as he could, knowing that Zeref was angry with him.

"You… wanted to see me, father." Zeref folded his hands-on top of his desk.

"Indeed, I did… Larcade, what was done today was unacceptable work. I know that you're young and still learning but honestly." Zeref shook his head. "You should know better than to steal a young child who you know has no money."

"But the others said it was a good idea." the 9-year-old cried. "So, I thought-."  
"Don't. Make up. Excuses." Zeref growled. That silenced him.

"So, what'll it be. Dungeon for a week? No food for 2-no-3 days. Whipping…" Larcade trailed off at the look his father was giving him.

"Larcade I've never done any of that to you. I do that to my men, Larcade. You're my son, and still a child yourself. Now, listen, how about this. Grounded for a month. That means no video games or phone or computer. Also, no breakfast tomorrow eh? You gave me that idea with your no food for days thing." Larcade gulped. Giving his father ideas probably wasn't one of his best favors to himself. "And you'll be the unlucky person that has to clean the restrooms this week." Larcade almost gagged. Zeref smirked, probably proud of himself for the punishments he had conjured up. Larcade knew that if he complained the punishments would only get harsher and go on longer.

"Yes father." Larcade said dejectedly. "And, I'm sorry."

"I know you are, my son. Now go to bed." His father patted him on the head and dismissed him from that dreaded office. Larcade was more than happy to be out of there. As Larcade was walking down the hall he was interrupted. It was Invel. Larcade rolled his eyes. He didn't need another lecture from his father's right-hand-man. When Larcade was younger he wondered who his father's left-hand-man was. But when Zeref laughed at his question Larcade felt silly.

"What do you want, Invel?" Larcade asked, crossing his arms.

"Oh, so now I can't walk in the hall when you're walking down it?" Invel asked with a raised eyebrow. Larcade groaned and stomped right past him. as he was stomping straight to his room he heard a small voice whisper. "What now?" Larcade thought. Was everything trying to get in his way today? Larcade just wanted to go to his room and sleep but the voice sounded urgent.

"Hey!" Larcade frowned and his eyes tried to find the source of the noise. "Over here." It was coming from one of the rooms. A smiling child peered out of it. The same one they had caught that very day.

"What is it?" Larcade whispered walking over to the child. Did he need something? He should probably go see what it was. his father might get mad if he didn't help him. Natsu smiled.

"Wanna play?" he asked. Larcade paused. His father had told him to go to bed after all. Running into Invel was one thing but stopping to play with this child would be like going straight against his father's wishes.

"I don't know…" he trailed off when he saw Natsu's room filled with toys. "Well… maybe for just a little while. What do you want to play first?"

"Let's play dragons!" Natsu cried with that large smile. Larcade shrugged. Dragons were all well and good he supposed. He grabbed one of the toys and they started playing. It turned out that dragons were rather fun. He and Natsu actually got along well. It sort of surprised Larcade because he never got along with any of the other children. He was having fun until he heard a stern voice talking behind him.

"Larcade, I'm glad you're getting along with Natsu, but I told you to go to bed." Larcade jumped up from his position and whirled around. To his horror his father was standing there, his arms crossed. He was tapping his left foot on the ground which Larcade knew meant he was annoyed. He gulped.

"S-sorry." Zeref pointed toward the hall, his eyes slightly narrowed. The message was clear. "Go." Larcade quickly got out of there and practically ran to his room. He didn't actually run, because that was another of Zeref's rules. He wasn't allowed to run inside.

When his father entered his room, he didn't look as angry anymore. In fact, his face seemed to have calmed. Maybe Natsu told him something to calm him down. Larcade didn't care, he was just happy that his father wasn't mad at him anymore. "Natsu is in bed and I'm glad to see you finally are as well." They stared at each other a while. Then finally Zeref sighed. "I'll let this misbehavior slide once! But know that if this happens again there will be consequences." Zeref said sternly. Larcade quickly nodded and Zeref left his room. Larcade noticed that he'd closed the door all the way and his forehead had not been kissed. Maybe his father wasn't as calm as he had thought. Larcade told himself he didn't care, but it stung.

The next morning Natsu was in his room, shaking him awake. "What?" Larcade asked, slightly annoyed by the fact that Natsu had gotten him in trouble last night.

"Wanna play?" Natsu asked his eyes wide as he looked at the room. There weren't as many toys as in Natsu's room, but there was still a variety and an entire two shelves dedicated to books. Larcade and his father liked to read them. Although they usually did it together. That was the only time Larcade liked to read. It was their special thing. Zeref always made time to read to him, even if he was busy.

They played for hours and about half way through their new game he saw his father in the door way, watching them with an amused expression. Zeref seemed to notice that Larcade had seen and looked almost a little guilty he'd interrupted their fun.

"Larcade, before you play anymore you need to start on the bathrooms." Larcade sighed. he knew that if he complained or asked for a few more minutes his father would strike him a deal. Clean the restrooms now, or play a few more minutes, and clean the kitchen too. Or something like that. His father was like that, always making deals. In his business and with his son.

"Just a few more minutes please." Natsu looked at his father with that wide-eyed cuteness. Larcade raised an eyebrow. Zeref would never fall for it. Larcade had been trying for years. His father smirked at the expression for several moments before at last replying,

"How could I say no to a face like that." Larcade was astonished by Natsu's success and felt more than a little betrayed. Natsu pleaded and he was granted a few more minutes, but if Larcade asked it was practically a resounding no? that hardly seemed fair to him. They continued playing for what probably turned out to be 3 more hours before Zeref came back. "Have you cleaned the bathrooms yet?" he asked.

"No."

"Then why are you playing here! I said a few more minutes." Larcade hung his head in shame and started playing with his fingers.

"I thought… I thought…" Larcade stuttered tears starting to form in his eyes. Zeref pointed at his feet and Larcade slowly walked over to his father. Zeref wrapped an arm around Larcade's shoulders and started guiding him toward the restrooms.

"I don't care what you thought Larcade." Zeref said coldly. "What matters is what I said." Larcade sniffed.

"I'm sorry." He whispered staring down at his feet. He felt his father sigh beside him.

"It is alright I suppose. No need to be teary eyed." Zeref said, patting Larcade's shoulder. "Now start cleaning." He ordered. Zeref knew the restrooms were a big job and all three had to be clean by the end of the week.

When Larcade was finished they had dinner. Larcade slowly saw his father liking Natsu more and more. He felt slightly forgotten but told himself it was only because Natsu was new. His father would grow bored in a week and come back to Larcade. Then he could have all the attention Natsu was getting. Larcade stabbed his chicken and ate the piece with a certain ferocity. Natsu and Zeref looked at him strangely. He let an innocent smile come to his face, but when they turned back to their conversations Larcade let the smile drop and started picking at his food.

As the week wore on things were only getting worse. Natsu was getting more and more attention and Larcade kept getting left out. Maybe it wasn't on purpose, but it still felt like it and it hurt his feelings! But today was the last straw for Larcade. Larcade was walking down the hall. Despite the fact he felt like Natsu was stealing his father's attention, they still liked to play together. So, he was going to Natsu's room to play dragons. He had been walking into Natsu's room but stopped in the door way. When his eyes landed on the bed he wanted to burst out crying. His father, however, would've scowled at him had he done that and Larcade did not want to be scowled at. "Oh, Larcade." Zeref said looking up from the book. "Why don't-." Larcade didn't here the rest. He was already running and managed to get inside his room and the lock the door before he burst out crying. He felt as if he'd been replaced. It was like Natsu was better at everything and Larcade kept messing up. He muffled his sobs in his pillow, screaming on occasion. Now Zeref was reading to Natsu. His father had only ever done that with him! it was their special thing! Larcade felt so betrayed.

It was a few minutes before he heard a knock at the door and a jiggle of the knob. "Larcade open this door now!" his father demanded. Larcade gathered all his courage clutched his drenched pillow tighter and yelled,

"No!"

"What did you say to me?" his father's tone was scary indeed. Larcade gulped and said defeatedly,

"I'm coming father." He unlocked and slowly opened the door. The door revealed a scowling Zeref, but his face softened when he saw Larcade's drenched face.

"Larcade, dear, whatever is the matter?" Zeref asked and scooped his smaller son into his arms.

"You… you don't love me anymore!" Larcade outburst and sobbed.

"Oh, sweetheart, why would you ever think that. Have I been too cross with you. I am sorry to have hurt your feelings so terribly." Zeref said gently rubbing Larcade's back.

"You, you're spending so much time with Natsu! And he does everything right, and I do everything wrong. he's a better son than me anyway!" Larcade cried into him.

"Oh, baby, you know that's not true."

"Yes, it is!" he sobbed.

"It isn't." Zeref said firmly. "You're my baby, of course I still love you." Larcade sniffed.

"But… but… I know I'm adopted." Larcade whispered. Zeref's eyes narrowed.

"Who told you that?"

"I… I found the adoption papers."  
"You were looking through my things?" Zeref asked, slightly hysterical. Larcade's bottom lip trembled and Zeref sighed. he felt his father's arms tighten around him. "Adopted or not that doesn't change the fact that you're MY baby. I'll always love you no matter what! No one could ever replace you, understand?"

Larcade nodded, sniffling. "Yeah." Zeref held him tighter and kissed his forehead.

"I love you sweetheart."

"I… I love you too daddy." Larcade said, snuggling into Zeref.

"Before you ran off, I was going to invite you to read with us. The invitation is still open if you want to take it." Larcade nodded.

"I'd like that." Zeref squeezed tighter and ruffled his hair.

"That's my boy, I knew you wouldn't stay sad for long." Zeref cried and stood, carrying Larcade in his arms. "You mean everything in the world to me son." Zeref said quietly smiling gently at his adorable little boy. "Oh, and Larcade." Zeref added his tone turning more serious. The child looked up at him. "Don't you ever tell me no again."

"Yes dad." Larcade said resting on his shoulder. Zeref patted his back.

"Now let's go back to Natsu, but we'll tell him you scraped your knee. This will be our secret, that is, unless you WANT to tell him that is." Zeref said with a slight smirk. Larcade rapidly shook his head.

"No!" he exclaimed.

Zeref chuckled. "Alright then, let's go. And Larcade, I'm sorry that you felt left out. I didn't realize, and I'll put more effort into making you feel included." Zeref said softly.

"Thank you, father."

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 **A/N So, this one was supposed to be more about Natsu and Zeref, but somehow Larcade ended up being the star of the show... I don't see many about Zeref and Larcade, or Zeref and August. I have come across a few that I love about these guys, but those are few and far in between. Mostly, the ones about Zeref and his sons end up being sad, and those are great and all, but I want to read one that makes me unconsciously smile throughout the entire thing. This is one of those! I suppose I understand why the ones about Zeref and his sons are sad, because Zeref's an evil wizard, Larcade's a demon, and August... well, I don't even think he knows about being Zeref's son... Anyway I guess that's why I made this an AU. As you can see, I plan to have a lot of AU's because there's only so many things you can do when Zeref's cursed and out to murder the world... so, yeah. Anyway, thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism appreciated.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: This is what I think Zeref would think about all day. Not sure if he does.**

 **Warning: Mentions of death and Zeref being Zeref... that's probably not a legitimate warning.**

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56,000,000 people die every year. Half of those deaths were probably caused by him. Zeref didn't mind death anymore. He didn't mind the black abyss that swallowed him whole. He didn't mind reaping people of their lives. He didn't mind. Not anymore. His sense of love was twisted. He didn't know what that feeling was anymore. Even compassion, empathy, caring, concern. It was all lost to him. nothing mattered anymore. He supposed he'd finally reached an acceptable level of apathy because the curse hadn't struck for several months.

560,000,000 people die in a decade. How would he know this? Because millions were his fault. It wasn't merely apathy he felt now. It was hatred. People were useless. They served no purpose. He was the only one that had a purpose. He was the bringer of death. The only thing he could love was death. Maybe he was death itself. Or maybe he was it's host. He didn't care anymore. Nothing mattered but the world's destruction. Either way, this world's destroyer was him. whether he loved the world, whether he hated the world. It didn't matter. So why cause himself pain by killing something he loved? So, he chose to hate. Hating things, he found, was much easier. Nothing to lose, nothing to gain, loving for nothing, caring for nothing, searching for everything.

5,600,000,000 people die every century. Only he would've counted such a thing. He didn't know an exact number of how many died, but he still killed millions. But not even that mattered anymore. The sun was bright. It brought life. he wondered, if he knocked it out of the sky would the earth shatter? Would it crumble? Would he die? No, he wouldn't. a foolish question really. Nothing could kill him. he was death. He lived every day to struggle to crawl, beg, to want, crave! He was nothing and everything. What was death? What did love feel like? Questions with no answers, was there such a thing? Maybe. It didn't matter to him. nothing mattered. Lies were easier, he didn't want to hear the truth. It was too much. Everything was too much. Zeref Dragneel killed himself today, only, it didn't matter how many times he jumped off the cliff. He would still live, and his body would mend itself back together. But the pain was why he did it. To see his blood flow for just an instant was worth it. He was alive. No, he would remind himself. _You aren't alive. You're a dead man walking._ And then there were the voices. So many voices that talked in his head. What he promised himself he wouldn't ever do he did the next day, unsure of why he thought he would never do it. He would destroy tomorrow what he created today, unsure of why he thought their lives were necessary. Nothing mattered, and everything was meaningless. Tomorrow was just another today. There was nothing mysterious or wonderous about it. It was just another day in another year in another decade in another century.

The days blurred. Unlike anyone else in the world he had been born to live. death came to everything around him, yet he lived on. An existence had never seemed so meaningless. He was alive to despair. No one had ever truly felt such a thing. He watched people. Everyday, he would watch them. What was family? Had it once meant something to him? he couldn't remember. Zeref wished he were insane. If he was then maybe his chest wouldn't hurt. Everyday he thought would be the day he'd snap. _Break me, he thought, please break me. I can't be sane any longer._ The colors swirled together until there was only black. He was in a world of darkness and there was no escape. Even he was black. He blended perfectly with the world around him. maybe that was why no one saw him. maybe that was why no one heard his pleas. Maybe that was why he had been forgotten. He was too much like the rest of the world. He was just as empty. "I wish I was a cloud." He mumbled to himself. Clouds were white and feathery. They drifted. He drifted. But he was bound to earth. And no one hated the clouds. Even when it rained. he thought that the sky was like him. And the clouds were like everyone else. Despite how it was the cloud's fault when it rained, no one blamed the clouds. They blamed the sky, just because it was gray. Zeref cried that day. Nothing was worth it. This world wasn't worth it. HE wasn't worth it. Worth what? What was IT? He wasn't sure, but nothing was worth it. Tears were like the rain. Maybe when it rained the sky was crying. There was no one but the sky to hear him now. No one else cared. Maybe he should go to a place where it rained often. then he and the sky could cry alone together. That, he thought, despite IT still being meaningless, was worth it.

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 **A/N It's late, I'm tired, this is the result. Sorry for any mistakes.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref's mother insists that Zeref go to a Halloween Festival at Magnolia Highschool. Only, Zeref is terrified of all things even remotely scary. Little does he know that this festival could change his life.**

 **Warning: Major OOC'ness and NatsuxZeref. Don't like don't read.**

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"Come on, it'll be fun." His mother said. Zeref scowled at the floor. He did NOT want to go to the school's Halloween party. It sounded horrible, and loud, and the festival was happening in the dark. Zeref hated scary things despite the fact he was always wearing black. It was like people thought wearing black all the time instantly made you like scary movies, and spiders, and Halloween. To be honest, Zeref was deathly afraid of all things scary. Even high thrill rides got him shaking the rest of the day.

"It most certainly will NOT be fun." Zeref grumbled. His mother sighed.

"If that's how you feel I'm not going to force you to go." His mother said. Zeref nodded. That was how he felt. He hated this night and would be happier simply hiding under the covers whilst everyone else scared themselves to death. Zeref for one, had no interest in doing that. "But I will bribe you. If you go to this event I will get you that new book you wanted." Zeref's scowl deepened.

"No fair!" he cried. His mother smirked and shrugged. "Come on. You'll have fun, I promise." Zeref sighed.

"Oh, alright. But if I don't like it, I'm never going again!" Zeref said.

"Fair enough." His mother said. Zeref sighed and stood up. There were likely to be several people in costumes, but Zeref didn't care. His mother was lucky that he was even going. He was not going to dress up in some stupid costume. Zeref slowly got up from the kitchen counter and made his way to the door.

It was cold but Zeref didn't bring a jacket. He didn't get cold very often, and when he did, it was in much colder temperatures. Zeref started walking, his head low, already scared out of his wits. Once he did finally reach the school there were dozens of people filing in and out of doors. Zeref gulped and started walking towards the building, his shoulders hunched. From the corner of his eye Zeref saw something run out in front of him. "BOO!" the person shouted. Zeref flinched, screamed, and ran inside the building. In there it was claustrophobic, and Zeref had more trouble breathing, but it sure beat the ghoul that had jumped out at him.

Zeref kept walking and looked around at all the different booths there were. Zeref knocked some witches down with baseballs and somebody gave him an apple they didn't want. Overall Zeref hadn't had a horrible time so far. He avoided any of the really scary stuff and sort of sat around sometimes. As he was about to leave he saw he had to walk past the haunted house. Zeref stood there for the longest time, telling himself to walk past it. _It's just a haunted house. All you have to do is walk past it and you'll be out of here._ He told himself. After finally working up the courage he heard someone start yelling. "Aw! Why do we have to go in pairs!"

"Safety reasons. If you can find someone to go with you, you're more than welcome too walk through it." The pink-haired guy scowled and gave the area a quick scan. His eyes landed on Zeref. "You, you want to walk through the haunted house with me?" Zeref looked behind himself, hoping that Natsu was talking to someone else. It became clear that he wasn't.

"M-me?" Zeref asked, just to be certain. Natsu, the school's star quarterback nodded.

"Yeah, we had an odd number of friends. No one would go with me since Lucy was supposed to go, but she's home sick." Zeref stared at him and then to the haunted house. Zeref had a small crush on Natsu. It was a little hard not to. He was strong, fast, and gorgeous. There was nothing that Natsu couldn't do. it would be a dream come true to walk with Natsu anywhere… well, almost anywhere. Zeref couldn't go through the haunted house, he just couldn't. just walking past, it scared him out of his wits.

"C-can't someone else go?" Zeref asked quietly. Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"Why? You scared? Or do you hate my guts?"

"N-neither!" Zeref lied. He couldn't go around admitting that anything scary terrified him. everyone at school would never stop teasing him, and Zeref would have to watch everything out of the corner of his eye just to make sure no one jumped out at him.

"Then why can't you go?" Natsu asked. Zeref frowned and took a few steps back.

"I can, just-." Zeref was cut off when Natsu grabbed his hand.

"Great, then there's no problem." Zeref forgot about his fear of haunted houses for a moment where all he could do was stare at Natsu as he payed for the both of them to go in. he forgot about why he was walking with Natsu until he was pulled into the dark. It was pitch black with no lights what-so-ever. Who knew what would pop out at him from the darkness. Zeref screamed when he felt something brush his arm. "Woah! Dud, it's just me." He heard Natsu's voice. "Now come on, I can kind of see in here." Natsu grabbed his wrist and started dragging him through the haunted house. Zeref kept jumping even when it was only their shoes clacking across the floor. "Wow your jumpy." Natsu commented. Zeref didn't respond. Natsu was right after all. He was petrified. There was a loud scream inside the house and Zeref screamed right along with it. Then, a zombie popped out at him as the lights flashed, illuminating the pitch-black house. Zeref screamed. His heart was beating faster, and he was convinced he was about to die. He jumped a mile and clung to Natsu.

"I want to turn back. Let's turn back!" he cried, his voice sounding needlessly panicky, even to his own ears. After all, everything in here wasn't real. It wouldn't really hurt him. but, despite that, he couldn't help but be scared to death. "Come on, let's get out of here!" he cried, dragging Natsu along.

"Hey, what's the rush? It's just a haunted house. Nothing's real. No one can hurt you." Natsu said. "It's just a person in costume and make up." Natsu assured him.

"I… I… I know, but it's just so scary-." Zeref wasn't able to finish his sentence because a vampire jumped out at him. Zeref hunched over into a crouch position and screamed. "Please don't kill me!" the vampire looked over the hunched boy in confusion.

"He gets scared easily." Natsu relayed. Then, he grabbed his classmate and guided him out of the house, feeling guilty for ever asking him to go through it in the first place.

So, Natsu basically carried him out because Zeref refused to move. Apparently, instead of the flight or fight response Zeref had the hide and scream response, or in other words, the die response. "Alright, we're out," Natsu said after a few minutes. Zeref slowly lifted his head up and gulped.

"Are you sure?" he wondered softly. When Zeref opened his eyes he could see that, sure enough, they were back in a brightly lit hall. Still, it was a few more moments Zeref allowed himself to relax.

"You okay?" Natsu asked, setting Zeref back down on the ground. Zeref blinked and then registered that he had just been screaming like a little girl at scary things that, to the normal person, weren't even that scary. Natsu must think he was a total scaredy-cat. It took him a few more moments before he realized that he should probably answer Natsu's question before he started worrying.

"I-I'm fine." Zeref stuttered, blushing. How embarrassing. When Natsu had looked in his direction he should've just gone with his first instinct which was to run and hide. Then he never would've gotten into this place.

"That's good. I was worried there for a moment." Zeref's blush deepened and he curiously peeked up at Natsu. Natsu's expression was a mix of concern and curiosity.

"Y-yeah. I probably should've told you before, b-but I get scared easily." Zeref whispered softly, glancing up at Natsu every once in a while. Along with Zeref's tendency to scream at everything even the least-bit scary, he was also painfully shy. And when around one of the most popular kids in school, that shyness was kicked into overdrive.

"Yeah that would've been nice to know." Natsu said, with a slight smile. Zeref smiled nervously back with a huge blush on his face. He hoped Natsu couldn't see it.

But Natsu could and his first reaction to seeing that blush was, _cute_. "Hey." Natsu spoke before he could stop himself. Zeref looked up at him through his lashes.

"Yeah?" he asked cautiously.

"You maybe want to grab lunch sometime." Zeref looked bemused.

"You mean…" Zeref trailed off. He didn't have the guts to ask Natsu, you mean like a date.

"Yeah, like a date." Natsu said like he was reading Zeref's mind. Zeref blushed deeply. "So, would you like to go?" Zeref nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment. "Then I'll see you Saturday, at noon. Don't be late. Now, do you want me to walk you home." Zeref nodded. Natsu hadn't even asked if Zeref was free that day. Luckily, he was. actually, he was free all days after school. He had literally no social life.

Zeref despised Halloween, and all things scary. But walking home wasn't so bad with Natsu by his side. Even though he was dressed as a scary dragon. They walked back to Zeref's house. "Are you sure this isn't out of your way?" Zeref asked concernedly. He didn't want to be a bother. Natsu shook his head.

"Nope, it's on my way." Natsu told him. Zeref blinked suspicious, but he nodded just the same. After all, Natsu was the expert on where he lived. Of course, Zeref had no intention of arguing with Natsu on anything.

"This is it." Zeref told him, blushing. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, anyway, listen, I'm sorry for dragging you into something you were uncomfortable with, I should've asked you." Zeref didn't process the words for a few seconds, but when he did, he shook his head.

"It's okay, I understand. I have a habit of not speaking up when I'm supposed to." Zeref laughed nervously and Natsu nodded.

"So, we're cool." Zeref wasn't exactly sure what that mean, but he figured that Natsu was asking if Zeref was angry with him, which he was not, in any way. So Zeref nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, we're cool." He told Natsu. Natsu smiled at him and patted him on the head.

"I'm glad." Natsu said. "Anyway, I've got to go." He told Zeref. Zeref nodded, in a daze.

"Yeah, I understand." Natsu smiled that cute smile of his and waved goodbye. Zeref waved back dumbly and slowly went inside. When he closed the door he sank to the floor in a daze, his heart racing, although not unpleasantly inside his chest.

As for Natsu he was staring at Zeref's house for a little longer. He sighed softly. He had a long way back. After all, Natsu's house was all the way across town.

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 **A/N Here's a little something for Halloween. A few more Halloween ones will probably be coming to. Thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism appreciated!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: This is Natsu's first day at kindergarten and he's pretty excited. Unfortunately, his school life doesn't go quite like he hoped.**

 **Warning: Bullying, and Zeref's a jerk sometimes.**

* * *

Natsu was cheerfully walking home from his first day at kindergarten and he'd had a pretty good day. On his way out of the school. Natsu ran into a boy named Happy. Literally. "Oh, sorry." Natsu said hurriedly. He didn't want Happy to think he'd done it on purpose or anything.

"What was that for?" Happy growled.

"Oh, it was an accident! I didn't mean to bump into you."

"Yeah right, you did that on purpose!" he exclaimed.

"No, I didn't. I'm sorry, but I have to go home now. My parents are waiting in the car." Natsu started to walk passed Happy, but Happy stuck out his foot and tripped poor, poor, Natsu. Natsu cried out and fell to the floor with a bang.

"Oops, sorry. It was an accident." Happy said mockingly. Natsu frowned. "What, did it hurt?" he teased. "Is the poor little baby hurt?" Tears started to fill Natsu's eyes. "Oh, the little baby's going to cry now! C'mon little baby cry!" Natsu jumped to his feet and ran. He was crying but he wouldn't let Happy have the satisfaction of knowing that.

Natsu recomposed himself before he went to his mom and dad's car… well, just his dad's now. His mother had died in child birth. His dad didn't blame him. but Natsu blamed himself enough for the both of them. Natsu climbed in the car. "How was your day." His dad asked.

"Pretty good." It wasn't a total lie. It had been good until the very end. His 15-year-old brother sat beside him in the back seat. Neither of them ever rode in the front. That was mom's seat. Igneel, Natsu's dad, believed him. his brother, Zeref, did not.

"What did you do?" their dad asked.

"Um… well, we did some arts and crafts. And I colored in a picture! And then we ate lunch, then we went and played… when we came back in we drew a picture of the most fun thing we did over the summer… oh, and I wrote my name on it! It didn't look like you or Zeref's writing though." Natsu said. He'd been a little disappointed that his words weren't tight and neat like Zeref's or scribbling that somehow looked beautiful like his father's. Natsu's writing had just looked like… a shapeless blob.

"Well, you just have to practice." His dad said. "Anything else?"

"Um… no." Natsu lied.

"What about you Zeref? How was your day."

"Fine." Zeref said shortly. Their father didn't pry. That was one sure way to get Zeref irritated. When his brother first got home from school he tended to be rather snappish. Natsu had learned to avoid him for about an hour. Instead, he and his dad played dragons while Zeref was busy brooding in his room.

The next day Natsu went to school albeit reluctantly. Much like yesterday Happy picked on him. teased him, called him names, said Natsu's picture was stupid. "If you don't stop I'm telling teacher!" Natsu said, glaring at Happy.

"Ooo, looks like we have a tattle tail on our hands!" Happy exclaimed. Natsu narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"… Tattle… tail?" he asked. he didn't know what that meant but it must be bad because the other children were sniggering. Natsu felt himself start to tear-up again but he pushed them back and stared back down at his drawing. He had to admit it was a little lop-sided. And they did look kind of like scribbles. He looked over at the other children's. they weren't great either, but they were better than his. Natsu bit his lip and kept drawing, trying to be better and more careful this time. Occasionally a child would look over at his work and snigger.

"Hey, would all of you just leave him alone." a blonde girl said. She looked pretty in Natsu's opinion. And then he reminded himself that girls had cooties. Natsu took a peek over at the blonde's drawing. Hers was one of the best. Natsu felt captivated by it. He looked at his drawing then at the blonde's, and then Natsu felt like crying again. Natsu's drawing didn't get any better and Natsu was left with what looked more like lots of scribbles than a dragon like what he'd been going for.

Later, after lunch Natsu was out on the playground but he wasn't friends with anyone in his class. And he didn't know anybody else. Natsu was lonely and sighed as he sat there and drew his knees up to his chest. Happy, after making fun of his pink hair, left in favor of swinging from the monkey bars. Natsu sat on the grass and pulled handfuls of it out of the dirt. It was something to do. he would've gone and played but to be honest he knew someone would just push him off the jungle gym.

After that they started learning the alphabet. Natsu was trying to write it so it was legible, but he couldn't make any of the letters look like the letters the teacher had written on the board. Natsu looked at his letters then the ones on the board. "C comes after b not d, you pink freak." Happy told him. Natsu scrunched his brows together. He had written a c!

"That is a c." Natsu defended himself. How could he get it wrong when the teacher had written it on the board!

"Oh, I couldn't read it." Happy said. Natsu slumped into his seat. He knew his hand-writing was bad but Happy's wasn't exactly peachy either. Natsu wanted to cry again. that was the third time that day! Natsu never wanted to come back to kindergarten. Not ever! It was a horrible place!

"That's because you can't read." The blonde told Happy. "And didn't I tell you to leave him alone!" she said.

"I don't have to do what you tell me Loopy!"

"My name's Lucy!" the newly named Lucy growled. The two glared at each other before they both looked away at the same time. Natsu went back to doing his alphabet.

At the end of class their teacher gave them their drawing and their alphabet back to them and told them to show their parents. All of them had a gold star but it was obvious which ones actually deserved it. Natsu walked with his head hung to his parents car and climbed in the back seat. "How was your day?" his dad asked. Natsu managed a shaky smile when his father looked into the rearview mirror.

"It was great daddy." Natsu said. When his father returned to looking out the front window Natsu let the smile drop and snuggled up to his brother. Zeref flashed him an annoyed look and pushed Natsu off. Natsu sighed and turned to look out his window. A few tears dropped but he didn't allow himself to make a single noise.

When they got home, much like Zeref did Natsu just walked up to his room. He closed the door softly and then started crying into his pillow. About ten minutes later he was done and went to go show his dad and brother his work in progress. His daddy was making dinner in the kitchen. "Daddy look!" Natsu said, holding out the papers. His father dried his hands with a towel and then took the papers from Natsu.

"Why what's this? Did you make it in class?" Natsu nodded. Igneel squinted at his alphabet. "This is great honey. I can tell you worked really hard. And did you draw this?" now his father was looking at the drawing he'd done earlier that morning. "Now what's this supposed to be?" he asked.

"Guess." Natsu said. Igneel visibly paled and then looked back at the drawing, scrunching his face up in concentration. As the silence went on Natsu's heart started to sink.

"Give me a hint." Igneel said. Natsu sighed. he knew it. If the drawing was good, then his father wouldn't need a hint.

"It's a dragon." Natsu said. Igneel blinked and then looked back at the picture.

"Oh yes! Now that you said that I can see it! It's really good sweetheart! And look you got a gold star. Gold stars mean you did really great!" Igneel said.

"Everyone got a gold star." Natsu said flatly.

"Well then that means everyone did great! You should go show these works of art to your brother." Natsu thought about it and then figured his brother couldn't tell him anything he didn't already know.

Natsu climbed the stairs and knocked on his brother's door. He had to. It was one of Zeref's rules. "Come in." a calm voice said. Natsu walked into his brother's room. It was tidy with black everywhere. Black walls black bedding. Basically, the only thing that wasn't black was the carpet. And even then Zeref had a black rug over it. All of Zeref's clothes were black too. Igneel had said Zeref was going through a phase. Natsu didn't think it was a phase. Zeref looked like he'd die at the mere sight of color. So of course, Zeref hated Natsu's hair. It wasn't that it was pink, it was just that it wasn't black or dark brown. Zeref would've hated it if his hair was blonde too. He also didn't like it because it was their mother's hair color. Natsu had never met her but from the pictures and stories he'd heard, she seemed very nice. Natsu also thought Zeref might resent him because he blamed Natsu for her death. After all, even Natsu knew that if he hadn't been born that she would still be with them.

"Zeref." Natsu said walking in.

"What is it?" Zeref was staring at his phone and he hadn't once looked up. Natsu gulped and climbed on Zeref's bed. Zeref scowled at him for a moment before turning back to the screen. "What do you want, pipsqueak?"

"I'm not a pipsqueak, meanie!" Natsu exclaimed. Zeref didn't say anything. "Look!" Natsu said handing Zeref his papers. Zeref blinked at them.

"They look like blobs to me." Zeref said flatly. Natsu sighed. he knew it. Although coming from Zeref, it didn't sound as mean as when Happy had been saying it. He said it like he said anything else. He said it like a fact.

"Then why'd I get a gold star?" Natsu demanded.

"Because every teenager knows they have to butter you up, tell you that you can do anything, give you gold stars, and then tear down your dreams because school is just that sadistic." Zeref said flatly. Natsu blinked.

"… Sadistic?" he asked.

"Cruel, mean, whatever you kindergarteners call it." Natsu stared at his brother. He didn't know his brother had such dark thoughts all the time. Although, if his choice of bedroom décor and attitude was anything to go by, Natsu really should've seen this coming.

"Zeref did you ever… are kids mean to you?" Zeref glanced at him.

"Why do you ask?" Natsu stared at his feet.

"I don't know, just wondering, I guess." Zeref sighed and looked back at his phone.

"Well I'm not exactly popular." He grumbled. "But I have my clique like anyone else in that forsaken place." Natsu didn't understand half of those words but nodded like he understood anyway. Basically, the answer he was getting was a yes said in a Zeref-like way. "Are you sure there's no reason you're asking?"

"Well… nobody at my school likes me. I don't have any friends yet. And compared to everyone else I'm horrible at writing and I'm horrible at drawing. Nobody will ever be my friend…" Natsu trailed off and stared at his feet, dangling off the side of the bed.

"I see. I wondered why you were crying on the drive home."

Natsu had thought he'd hid it well! "How did you know?" Natsu cried.

"It honestly wasn't hard. Even dad noticed. He's worried about you. What's the kid who's been teasing you named?"

"Happy." Natsu said.

"Well that's a stupid name." Zeref said. Natsu snorted. That had honestly been his first thought. And then he'd been mad at himself because those were mean thoughts. Just then Igneel called the two down for dinner and the two left the room together.

The next day was filled with relentless teasing and to make it worse he didn't know where his dad's car was at the end of the day. Natsu was searching all over the place. He started imagining the worst-case scenarios. His father got into a car accident, kidnapped, caught in a burning building started by dragons, etc. "Natsu!" Natsu's head whipped around with his brother there. Natsu ran to him, relieved.

"… wait." Natsu said as he reached his brother. He looked around with a frown. "Where's daddy?"

"He had to work late so he told me to come and pick you up. We'll walk home."

"See ya later, pink freak!" Happy called from across the playground. Natsu sighed and looked down at his feet. He could feel tears threatening to fall again. maybe he was just a pink freak.

"Come on. Let's go home." Zeref said softly as he guided Natsu toward the sidewalk.

"Why don't they like me?" Natsu asked as they walked.

"I don't know." Zeref said. Natsu glanced at him.

"Why don't you like me?" he asked. Zeref answered without even the slightest hesitation.

"Because you killed her." Natsu's eyes filled with more tears. He couldn't even bring himself to defend himself. He couldn't even find it in himself to be mad. Zeref hadn't meant it as an insult. He'd meant it as a fact. He always meant something as a fact. Still Natsu found himself shaking. He was bad at kindergarten and he'd hurt those he'd loved just by being born. He probably was a mistake. He should never have been born. That's when Natsu dropped to his knees and started sobbing. He didn't even care about the pain in his knees anymore. For all he knew, he deserved it and more. Zeref, who was not keen on wasting time, scooped Natsu up in his arms and started walking again.

Natsu clutched Zeref's shirt like a lifeline, his legs wrapped around his brothers mid-section. His brother had one arm supporting his legs and the other wrapped around his back. They had a long walk back home, so thankfully Natsu had a long time to calm down. "There's nothing to cry about." Zeref told him as he rubbed comforting circles on the small of his back. "Why does no one like me?" he whispered. Zeref didn't respond. Natsu waited. Zeref always responded, usually to tell him some snarky answer as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Dad likes you. He loves you." Zeref said finally. Natsu sniffed. That didn't mean anything. It was his daddy. He meant other kids, like Happy.

"I mean kids." Natsu said.

"Maybe you smell." Zeref said dryly. Natsu subtly sniffed himself. Nope, nothing. Natsu yawned quietly and closed his eyes. He was exhausted after his long day of worrying about stupid things and people liking him.

"I don't smell." He told Zeref sleepily.

"Really? Because you reek of depression." Zeref said. Natsu didn't know what that meant either, but he figured it was something snarky. Natsu laid his head down on Zeref shoulder and curled up in his arms. "Why did I have to get stuck with a freak like you as a brother?" Zeref said with a sigh.

"I may be a freak, but you love me." Natsu said quietly. He wasn't actually sure about that though, did Zeref love him? if he did, he sure had a funny way of showing it.

"Yeah, I guess I do." Zeref said.

When they reached the house Zeref set Natsu down on the couch. Natsu curled up and took a nap.

Natsu woke up soon after when Zeref told him to get up before he drop-kicked him to the dining room table. That got Natsu moving quickly. "Ah, my son's adorable while sleeping." Igneel said with a grin. Natsu scowled.

"I am not adorable." He grumbled.

"Oh, of course not. You're my tough little dragon." Natsu pouted. Igneel always called Natsu that. It was one of his more personalized nicknames. Natsu thought it was unfair. His dad didn't call Zeref anything but by his name or sometimes son. Why did he have to get called such demeaning nicknames? Natsu was a tough dragon! Not little!

Over the course of the next few days Igneel worked late and the teasing got worse and worse. "Hey, what're you doing out here alone." a dark-haired kid asked. "I'm Gray, by the way." He said.

"That rhymes." Natsu said.

"Huh, I didn't notice. So, you wanna play?" he asked. Natsu's head shot up. Maybe this was a trick. Natsu had seen Gray hang around Happy sometimes.

"Hey Gray, you don't want to play with pink freak!" one boy jeered on the playground.

"Yeah, come play with us! Pink freak has cooties!" one girl said. Natsu's shoulders slumped. There went his shot at making one friend.

"Pink freak?" Gray asked, not seeming to make the connections. "Oh…" he said finally. "It's because you have pink hair."

"You're not the brightest of the bunch, are you?" Natsu grumbled. "Oh, and it's salmon." Gray scowled at him.

"Hey! I'm plenty smart!" he cried. "You're just jealous because you don't have a brain in that hollow head of yours!" Gray said. All at once Gray thwacked his forehead. "I can hear it echo in there." He heard children from the playground laugh. Natsu glared.

"I didn't think smart was in your voca- voca…" Natsu trailed off.

"Vocabulary?" Gray asked.

"Yeah, vocabulary!" Natsu cried. Gray smirked.

"Well I'm not the idiot who doesn't even have the word vocabulary in my vocabulary." Natsu flushed red. Why did Gray even have to come over? Natsu was perfectly happy before he did! Natsu crossed his arms and looked at the floor. He felt tears coming to his eyes again. he couldn't seem to do anything right.

"Yeah little pink freak, cry!" Happy jeered. Gray stared at him for a moment and then gave Happy a scalding look.

"You aren't exactly normal yourself! You have blue hair after all! So, you can just shut up!"

"Yeah, but pink's a girl color!" Happy teased. Natsu felt a hand grab his arm and drag him away.

"Don't listen to them." Gray said. "Come on, meet my friends." Gray said. When they reached their intended destination Natsu saw 2 others. Lucy and a redhead. Natsu stared at them. Gray and Lucy were popular and Erza, the redhead was a year older than them. Natsu sniffed as he looked at them. "Hey guys, this is my new friend Natsu." Gray said. Natsu glanced at him. hadn't they just been fighting a moment ago and now Gray was calling Natsu his friend? The two girls waved with smiles on their faces.

"Hey, you're that kid!" Lucy exclaimed. Natsu was glad to know that to her, he was that kid.

"Yep… it's me." Natsu said weakly.

"It's good to meet you." Erza said. Natsu nodded and sighed. this was already exhausting.

Soon, the four of them became inseparable and school got easier. Natsu was writing a bit better and drawing better too! He made friends with Jellal, who was also a year older, and Loke, one of the few boys who didn't believe that girls had cooties and was perfectly happy chasing after them at recess, trying to get a kiss on the cheek. He'd eventually gotten one from every girl he'd chased except Erza because she gave him a black eye.

Now it was Monday and it was the worst day he'd had. It even topped the first day. Happy teased him mercilessly, he got all the answers wrong to the questions the teacher asked. and now he was getting kicked by Happy and his goons. Tears streamed down Natsu's face. He didn't know why Happy hated him so much. All he could do was sob.

At the end of school Natsu walked toward Zeref. Their father had to work late again. Natsu ran to him and threw himself at Zeref and started sobbing. "What is it?" Zeref asked.

"My arms and stomach hurt!" Natsu cried into Zeref's shirt. Zeref rolled his eyes.

"Stop doing that at once, you'll ruin my uniform." Zeref said curtly and jerked Natsu away. His eyes softened when he saw Natsu's face littered with large crocodile tears. "Shh." He said, gently running his fingers through Natsu's hair. "It is alright." He said. Natsu thought Zeref's eyes flashed a dangerous red, but that must've been a trick of the light. However, it still looked freaking scary in Natsu's opinion. "Who did this to you?" Zeref's voice was low and dangerous. Natsu gulped.

"H-Happy." He said, truly unsure of whether or not Zeref was about to kill Happy.

"It's that blue-haired twerp, right?" Natsu nodded. Zeref looked around before he seemed to spot the "twerp". Zeref took Natsu's hand and marched right over there. Natsu noticed there was a dark-haired man next to Happy. He looked too young to be Happy's father. Natsu figured it was Happy's brother here to pick him up. Just like Natsu's brother was here. "Lilly!" Zeref growled as he walked over. Natsu figured that was the dark-haired man's name. he was as tall as ten Natsu's. and he towered over Zeref. "Is this your brother?" he asked, pointing at Happy.

"Yep, and I'm assuming that." Lilly pointed to Natsu. "Is the pink freak my brother's been telling me about." Zeref's scowl only deepened. "Woah, no need to look so sour Spriggan." Natsu glanced up at his brother. Was this his brother's nickname at school? Like he was pink freak? Natsu didn't even know what a Spriggan was.

"What's a Spriggan?" Natsu piped up.

"Nothing!" Zeref said quickly with some of the most emotion that Natsu had ever seen out of him.

"It's an ugly fairy. Spiteful little things." Lilly said. Zeref clenched his fists.

"Well, all I was going to say was that'd I'd appreciate it if your brat of a brother would stop punching mine!" Zeref growled. Lilly rolled his eyes.

"Aw c'mon, the kid needs to toughen up a little, right bud." Lilly punched Happy in the arm. Happy gave him a big smile and nodded. When Lilly turned back Natsu saw Happy grimace and rub his arm. Natsu wrinkled his nose. Natsu was glad he and his brother didn't have that kind of relationship. Zeref had never so much as thwacked him on the back of the head. He preferred to keep to himself, and was usually very calm and expressionless, which was why his outburst was so uncalled for. Natsu wondered if Zeref was sick or something.

"Tell your brother to leave mine alone." Zeref said slowly. Natsu noticed the rage hidden just beneath his calm exterior. Natsu frowned. Maybe Zeref just didn't show emotion around other people, and that's why he was so blank all the time. Maybe Zeref cried at night, just like he did.

"And what're you going to do if I don't?" Lilly asked challengingly. Natsu looked back and forth between the two. Zeref looked so enraged Natsu half expected Lilly to just drop dead from the feeling of pure hatred radiating off Zeref. Natsu was pretty sure this resentment went deeper than his brother simply picking on Natsu.

"Fine!" Zeref snarled. "If you won't do it, I will." He turned his enraged eyes to Happy. As expected Happy had already seemed to shrink to the size of an ant. "You leave my brother alone, you here? Or I swear kid, I will string you by your toes in the middle of my room and curse you, capeesh!" he growled. Happy nodded quickly and Zeref straightened up. Lilly was glaring at Zeref. "Go ahead, hit me and get dragged away by the police. Suddenly Zeref's expression morphed into one that sent shivers up Natsu's spine. His expression became a devious smirk. Now Natsu was sure Zeref's eyes flashed red. "It worked last time, didn't it?" Lilly growled.

"Come on Happy. S-sorry. I didn't know pink fr- er… Natsu was your brother." Lilly said and ran off. Zeref's eyes never left him, nor did he blink until Lilly was out of sight. Finally, the expression slid off Zeref's face and in it's place was the emotionless one again.

"Come Natsu, let's go." Natsu stared up at his brother in amazement.

"Wow, you were awesome. I was so scared!" Natsu cried. Zeref gave him the tiniest of smiles and rubbed Natsu's head.

"As you should've been." Zeref said. "I don't think Happy will be giving you anymore trouble." Natsu nodded enthusiastically. He didn't think so either. In the middle of walking home Zeref had to carry Natsu again because Natsu got tired.

"Zeref, why don't you like me?"

"Didn't I already tell you why?" Zeref said irritably. Natsu sighed.

"It's just, with the way you were acting earlier when I told you Happy hit me, you looked so mad I thought… maybe you started to like me a bit. Or care about me, or something. It was stupid, I shouldn't have asked… sorry." He said quietly his head drooping on Zeref's shoulder again. Zeref rubbed his back and kissed his head.

"I do care for you Natsu. I just do it in my own little way." Yeah, the Zeref way. Natsu smiled slightly and started closing his eyes. "You know Natsu, you're adorable when you're not being an annoying little brat." Zeref said. Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Gee, thanks." He said sarcastically with a sigh.

"Like right now." Zeref said. Natsu nodded and finally fell asleep to the rhythmic clacking of Zeref's shoes on concrete.

Zeref finally reached the house and opened it up. Igneel was already home, so he couldn't have stayed too much later at work. Igneel smiled at them. "You two are adorable. Wait! I'm going to get a picture." He cried. Zeref's eyes went slightly devious.

"Wake up maggot!" Zeref yelled in Natsu's ear. Natsu cried out and jumped up.

"Aw… you ruined the moment!" Igneel whined. Zeref shrugged and started going upstairs. Natsu smiled at Igneel.

"Hi daddy." He said. Igneel smiled.

"My youngest son!" he cried. "Hello!"

"Bye daddy!" Natsu cried, running up the stairs. Igneel blinked after him. when had his little kindergartener become so grown up, and more importantly, like Zeref? Igneel blinked, and then started worrying. Was Zerefitis contagious? He sure hoped not. Igneel still had a need to smile!

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 **A/N I'm pretty happy how this one turned so, thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism is appreciated!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: So, Zeref's out in the woods (he's out there a lot) and he comes across a girl who steals his heart immediately. But for the black wizard only grief awaits.**

 **Warning: Character death.**

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The day he met her, she was dancing in the rain. Twirling, and jumping and laughing. He watched from afar as the girl danced. Like the little fairy, she was.

Zeref had always despised the rain, but for a moment, he thought it couldn't be so bad. Not if she loved it.

Then, she turned, long, blonde hair sopping wet, her eyes twinkling with mirth. And in that instant, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. When she raised her hand and that huge smile crossed her face Zeref felt his heart skip a beat. Zeref knew very well what love felt like. He felt it. So, he ran. He could imagine her confused expression as she wondered why he ran off. Hopefully she would never know.

He never thought he'd see her again, but there she was, smiling that smile of perfect happiness. Zeref clenched his fists. She was not meant for him. She was too happy, too soft, still not hardened from years of pain and suffering. She would never be able to walk by his side. So, Zeref moved forward. She turned to him, her smile widening at the sight of him. Why did it do that? She didn't even know him.

"Hello." She said, her voice carrying throughout the forest. It was raining. He was wet. She was beautiful.

"Hi…" he said quietly. He felt emotions long since buried arise within him. Zeref's eyes hardened. She opened her mouth to speak but Zeref never got the chance to hear it. He was already running.

"Wait!" she cried running after him. Zeref knew he had to lose her. What if he killed her too? What if she was another one of his victims. What if she never smiled or laughed or danced again? What if it was all his fault? He couldn't let that happen! Not in a million years. It had already happened before. Never again, he had promised himself. Never again.

He felt the instant she grabbed his hand. He jerked away like her touch hurt him. "It's okay." She said, giggling softly. "I don't bite." Zeref took a few steps back. She might not bite, but he did.

"You should stay away from me." Zeref whispered. The little fairy shook her head.

"Why? You look like you could use some company." She said.

"You… you don't even know me." Zeref said. The girl's smile widened.

"Even the best of friends were strangers at one point, were they not? And I have a feeling that you and I are going to be very good friends! You'll see."

Zeref honestly doubted it. He never was a good friend. But that was probably due to the fact he killed anything he cared for. The more he loved it the more likely it was to die. It had been so long since he'd talked to another human being. Zeref smiled sadly. "I already consider us friends… you're the only person I have talked to in a very long time." The girl laughed.

"I'm glad I could be of service." She said.

"Me too. Believe me… me too." Zeref said. "But I really must be going now. Bad things tend to happen when I'm around. Things often… die."

"Die? Well, that's not good and it most certainly isn't true! Things don't die just because you show up, don't say things like that!" she exclaimed. Zeref only looked at the ground. He could feel the curse threatening to come out.

"I have to go." He whispered and took off.

"WAIT!" she cried. Zeref didn't even turn back to look at her. "But I didn't even know your name…" she whispered quietly. Just then, the young boy doubled over in pain. She was concerned so she rushed over to help him. "Are you okay?"

"You have to run!" he said through gritted teeth. "Right now."

"I don't think so! You're in pain, I need to help you." She said and knelt down beside him. "Don't worry, we'll have this fixed up in no time." Zeref opened his mouth to respond but all that came out was a cry of pain, and a wave of black fog burst throughout the area, killing all the trees and animals nearby. Zeref slowly opened his eyes.

"Please don't tell me." He whispered. There, lying on the ground next to him was the girl. She was pale and the life in her green eyes was fading.

"What's happening?" she whispered. Zeref paled and scrambled back. She was dying was what was happening. Zeref felt tears spring to his eyes.

"I told you." He whispered. "I told you I brought death." She smiled a little.

"Perhaps I should've taken you a little more literally." She said and coughed. The rain started pouring down even harder and they both heard thunder off in the distance. Zeref squeezed his eyes shut, not believing what was happening right in front of him.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"It's okay. You warned me, but I have a habit of not listening." Zeref sobbed into his hands. One more life had been taken. Just how many lives would the curse claim before it was satisfied? Zeref wasn't sure.

"It's not fair that you have to die." Zeref said. He should die. He should be the one dying. Not someone innocent like she was.

"I suppose not. But life isn't fair. This isn't exactly how I pictured my death."

"It isn't?" Zeref asked. Did people really picture their deaths? Zeref thought that was rather depressing.

"It's better. The rain is falling, I was dancing… it's a Friday. Overall, I believe this is a good way to die if you have to. I'm at peace in the rain."

Zeref waited for her to say more. But she didn't. he leaned back and bit his lip trying to hold his tears in. She would never say another word. She would never smile another smile. Not in this world. It was over for her. She was dead. And it was all his fault. Zeref supposed he should've known better.

He was alone again. Somehow it was… lonelier than he expected. Zeref stood up and gave her body one last glance. He shouldn't burry her. Someone else would find her. He didn't want to be here when they did.

It was almost funny how much this death hurt. He loved her. Yet he didn't even know her name. But she had been the first to smile and wave at him in decades. Even if he could not hold her. Even if he could not see her or hear her. Even if he did not know her name he loved her. He supposed love at first sight really did exist.

And he decided that if she could smile, dance, wave to a murderer, and live her life while her simple gestures made the world to him. Then he could live in this world too. After all, a world that had her in it couldn't be completely beyond saving. They say that two people can be alone, together. They say that misery loves company. They say that even a murderer needs a friend. Now, things aren't always what people say they are, but in this case… they were forever correct. And if humans could be forever correct. Then he could certainly learn to forever smile.

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 **A/N It's 7:30 A.M where I'm from, way to early to be up on a Saturday morning. Don't you just love when you have soccer games at the crack of dawn?...?... Didn't think so. Anyway, thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism appreciated.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref is royalty, and only heir to the throne. His eighteenth birthday is coming up and Zeref is not looking forward to it. He doesn't want to be king. Maybe, he doesn't have to.**

 **Warning: Character death! And a bit of abuse (nothing too bad) but I thought you should know. Don't like it, don't read it.**

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Zeref was rich. Richer than the richest of the rich. However, being rich caused him horrible problems. He was the heir to the throne and was required to be king someday. Something of which he did not want. The biggest problem was that he was coming of age. He was nearly eighteen and was required to find a bride. In fact, he already had a fiancé.

Zeref didn't hate her. she wasn't stuck up like he half-expected her to be. But he didn't love her either. She was a good friend. And that was likely all she'd ever be to him. conversely, she actually loved him and was perfectly happy playing the obedient wife. One reason why he could not love her. he needed someone with a backbone! She would fall over dead if he told her too.

Not that she was dumb or anything. No, in fact, she was as brilliant, if not more so, than he was. she just lacked the confidence to use her skill to the best of her abilities and was instead content with using her skills to aid him in whatever he desired, which was nothing. "Zeref! Get in here!" his father called. No, Zeref did not hate his fiancé. His father, however, was a different story altogether. Zeref hated HIM with every ounce of his being. He didn't even know what his father wanted from him. he was already miserable, what else did his father want from him?

"Yes father?" Zeref asked, walking into the throne room. His father stood there like the high and mighty jerk he was and stared down at Zeref. His father had a bad habit of staring down at everyone, but it was an especially bad habit that he stared down at Zeref.

"Come closer, son." His father said. "I have a little eighteenth birthday present for you." Great, it was probably another slave. Zeref didn't have time to deal with them. They were more trouble than they were worth in his opinion. Zeref vaguely hoped it would be different this year, however his hopes were dashed when two guards dragged in a boy beaten within an inch of his life. Zeref noticed that, while the present itself wasn't different the present was still… different. Instead of a young maiden that his father deemed "beautiful" it was a boy. Zeref wondered if this was some sort of ploy. When his father was involved anything was possible after all.

"It's… a slave. Thank you, father, it's a very thoughtful gift." Zeref said the same thing every year. His father either hadn't noticed or didn't care.

"Your welcome son have fun." Zeref hid his disgust and nodded. It was not in his nature to be cruel, but it was not to be nice either. To be honest, Zeref was rather distasteful of slaves. He had no personal vendetta against them, but he did find them unnecessarily needy. Zeref didn't like needy people and so he kept them at arm's length, much like anyone else. Zeref walked over to his slave. The boy had pink hair, he was tanned and skinny but had well defined muscles, likely from hauling things. That was all Zeref could make out though.

"Get. Up." He ordered. The slave did not move. Zeref half wondered if he was going to have to order the guards to pick his slave up. Zeref didn't get the chance.

"He said get up!" his father growled. "He is your new master, so you better listen to him." a few seconds later the boy twitched, and he shakily got to his feet. "Good." His father said, his voice calmer now.

"Follow me." Zeref said. The slave obeyed, of course, and followed him unsteadily out the large, golden doors. Zeref had to pause several times to let the slave catch up. Eventually Zeref got rather annoyed. "Hurry up." He ordered. The slave did try to hurry, he really did, but he was clumsy and tripped over his own feet. Zeref, royally fed up, grabbed his slave roughly by the arm. "I told you to hurry up, not fall down!" Zeref said irritably.

"-up." He heard. Zeref's scowled.

"What?" he asked.

"I said shut up!" his slave growled and jerked his arm away. It left scratches on his arm, but the slave didn't seem to care. "And don't touch me." He growled. Zeref blinked at this slave. No one, not even his father had ever spoken to him that way, much less some random slave. Zeref wasn't sure whether he should like this slave more because he had the guts to stand up to his prince, or if he should slap him for his insolence. Zeref decided to do what he often did when faced with equally appealing decisions. He did nothing.

"Don't speak to me that way." Is all he said. "You'll get yourself in trouble." The slave sneered.

"You think I care about trouble? If I haven't died yet I'm not going to! And even if I did it would be better than serving you!" he screamed. Zeref sighed. he didn't like being the bad guy. Why did everyone always make him be the bad guy? But people were staring now. Zeref knew that if they saw he wouldn't punish a lowly slave who had talked back, then they would think he'd never be able to talk back a diplomat from a neighboring kingdom. In other words, they'd think him a weak ruler. That would mean problems, revolts, assassination attempts, betrayals, people who think for themselves. And as the next monarch Zeref could not allow royals to be perceived that way. The only way for a monarchy to work was to show that one person was strong enough to lead an entire nation by themselves. Zeref hated it. But being a monarch was all about image. It didn't matter if you weren't really strong. As long as you were perceived that way you had the undying loyalty of thousands. So Zeref did the only thing he could think of. He slapped the boy. It felt dirty, like he was kicking a wounded animal. What he didn't expect was for that animal to bite.

The boy lashed out at him, faster than what should've been possible in his condition. The boy's fists were lit aflame. Zeref's eyes narrowed. It was no wonder that he was still alive even in his condition. This boy was a wizard. However, Zeref couldn't sense most of his magical energy. That either meant that he was a very powerful wizard, or that he didn't have much magical energy left, in which case, using it could prove to be very dangerous for him. Zeref, thankfully, was quite skilled with magic himself.

His slave instantly fell to the floor before his guards even had time to react. "Please carry him down to the slave chambers. He is not to have food until tomorrow afternoon at exactly 12:00 P.M., understand?" Zeref asked. the guards saluted him and carried his slave down to the slave chambers. Zeref let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. How troublesome. He had much more important things to attend to than being with some stupid slave.

Zeref strolled down an empty hallway to the music room. He could hear notes from the violin ringing throughout this part of the castle. It was sweet music. Zeref turned the corner and walked in. His fiancé was in charge of his… musical and mathematical talents. Both of which she was extremely virtuous at. "Oh! Good afternoon my love." She said. "You are a bit late though." She added her eyes narrowing slightly. "What pray tell is the reason for this?"

"My father had to see me in the throne room. He had to give me my… birthday present." Zeref didn't hide his disgust this time. His fiancé's eyes narrowed even further.

"Was it another one of those women?" she asked. he could tell she hated the idea of him ordering around and being around and talking to another woman that wasn't her. his fiancé could get rather jealous. It was not a trait that he particularly despised, but it was not one that he cared for either.

"No, this time it was a boy." Zeref said. "And he was rather… feisty." Zeref said after trying to consider the right word. His fiancé giggled.

"Well then, even if he is I'm sure you'll put him in his place." She said.

"… Yes." Zeref said quietly. His fiancé, detecting his unease, changed the subject smoothly. She was always quite good at that.

"Now then, on to our lessons for today, yes?" she said. Zeref nodded. Piano was a skill he had picked up a long time ago. He had never been particularly musical, but he wasn't half bad at it either. Mavis sat, and she listened as he played. She never interrupted his piece and told him what to change, after he was finished. After he was done playing his little piece she sat there. "It was… you played everything how it was written." She said. Zeref sighed. he didn't like the tone she was using. Despite the fact that Zeref took what she said as a good thing, her tone suggested otherwise.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's just that… everything you've ever played for me as been so methodical." She placed her hands on the keys. As she played, beautiful music, unlike anything he had ever played, drifted through the room. Her fingers glided across the keys almost as if caressing them with her fingertips. It looked like she barely touched them even when powerful music belted itself out at him. it would be poppy and then it would lace together. It would go loud to soft. Sometimes it would be fast, other times it would be slow. "Music." She said, her hands stopping after a minute or two. "Is not methodical. It's not a science, it's an art!" she exclaimed. "It's not enough to simply… play what's written! You must put your own spin, let your emotions pour through the piece! Let it all paint a picture. A slow sad song could paint the picture of rain for the audience, or a fast, bouncy song a beautiful golden sun! music is supposed to speak to you, but through melody instead of words." She stood and turned on a magic-operated stereo. "Listen." She whispered. Zeref sighed. "Close your eyes and listen!" she shouted. He'd never heard her more commanding. It scared him slightly and his eyes flew shut. "Good." She said softer. "Now what does this song say. What does it tell you?" Zeref frowned. The song DIDN'T speak to him. it was just a bunch of pretty melodies clashing together. He noticed immediately when his fiancé started humming. His eyes opened slightly. Mavis had her eyes closed. She was humming softly, swaying to the music. "You're not closing your eyes." She chided lightly.

"H-how did you know." Her eyes slowly opened.

"I can feel you watching me." She said quietly. "Come on!" she said a little louder. "Dance with me." He hadn't time to protest before she grabbed on to him. her mouth tilted upwards just slightly into the smallest, softest of smiles. She moved with the fast beat of the song. Her dress of silk swirled around her and her hair swayed with her. this wasn't his type of song. He didn't dance, but if he did the song would be slow and probably deep. But this light, upbeat dance seemed perfect for his fiancé. She was a small thing; her feet always bare despite the fact that she had shoes. His fiancé was almost eighteen too, but sometimes she looked just like a child. Still, he moved with her since he hadn't a real choice in the matter since she was basically dragging him around the room.

Her laughter rang out, complete opposite to how he usually felt. It was the first time he saw her as something more than his annoying fiancé that he was being forced to marry. He supposed, he could've ended up with so much worse. "Well," she said breathless when the song stopped. "You could at least try to look a little happier."

"Sorry." He said quietly. She sighed, panting and slowly stepped away from him.

"Look…" she said quietly. "I understand that you don't love me. I don't love you either. You're a bit too… melancholy for my taste, no offense. But I'm trying to be happy. Trust me, I don't like falling over backwards to meet your every demand, but I do it because it's my duty to be your subservient queen. The one that would die for her king." She sighed. "I would rather be outside dancing in the rain, playing my violin as more than just a hobby, teach others science and mathematics. Heck even become a battle strategist. But… I was born a princess. And you were chosen as my husband."

"… I hope I'm not a complete disappointment."

"Believe me, I know I could've done worse. As far as princes go you're not the worst I've ever met." She said.

Zeref also wondered if she ever wanted to become an actress. He'd really thought she loved him more than her own life. it turned out that was just another lie. "I guess… you're not the dancing type." She said.

"I don't like to dance." he said. She sighed.

"I kind of figured." She grumbled quietly.

"… So, in other words, the piece I'm playing. You're saying it's too perfect." He changed the subject almost as seamlessly as she could. She smiled softly and nodded. Zeref wasn't sure he'd ever understand this woman. Never had a teacher told him that his work was too perfect. "Well alright, then what do you want me to do about it? Make some mistakes on purpose?" she laughed quietly.

"No, no, my love, you are a skilled pianist. Add your own spin to the piece. Add your own style and emotions to it. I don't care how long it takes, or how many times you have to do it. Experiment, and do your best." She said. Zeref sighed. that sounded exhausting. He'd train some more with magic rather than practice the piano any day.

"Alright. Well, anyway, I guess our time is up right?" his fiancé looked at the clock and sighed.

"I suppose you're right." She said. So, Zeref help Mavis tidy up the music room a little bit. Just because they were royalty didn't mean they couldn't clean sometimes. Just as Zeref was leaving a thought occurred to him.

"Hey, if I'm not a lover to you, the what am I?" he asked his fiancé. She tapped her chin as if thinking.

"Well, you are a good friend." She said, staring at him. "And sometimes I think of you as the adorable little brother I never had!"

"That's ironic, considering I'm older." She pouted.

"Yeah, but I'm always the one teaching you. Not the other way around." Zeref rolled his eyes. It was true, anything he could do, Mavis could do also. There were some skills he was better at than she was, but she was no less capable of accomplishing the task.

"Fine, whatever." He grumbled. She gave him a somewhat cheeky smile and they each went their separate ways.

Zeref didn't know why exactly he'd sent for that new slave he got. He never sent for any of his slaves once he got them. But this one was defiant. He was… interesting, to say the least. And Zeref was bored. He honestly couldn't think of anything else he needed to do.

Soon, his slave arrived. "Have you cooled off?" Zeref asked him quietly. The slave, who was now wrapped in bandages, ignored, and glared at him ta-boot. Zeref sighed. apparently, the answer was no. Zeref stood and cautiously walked toward his slave. He made his moves slow and deliberate as to not scare the boy. The slave just stood there, never moving but tensed as if prepared for him to strike. "How long have you been a slave?" some slaves were forced into these lives, but others were born into it.

"I was born into it. So, I suppose 17 years." Zeref was intrigued by this. He would've thought for sure his slave was older than him. but unless the boy also turned eighteen within the next few weeks, Zeref was fairly sure he was the older one.

"I see." Zeref said quietly. "Where are your parents?" he asked.

"I don't know." The boy said stiffly. "We got separated when I was young."

"And your name?"

"Natsu Dragneel."

"Now, then, do you have any questions for me?" Natsu's eyes narrowed.

"Are you always such a jerk?" he asked. Zeref found this to be more amusing than insulting.

"Define what you mean."

"I mean are you always so stuck up? Demanding me at your beck-and-call, asking me questions like I have to answer you, acting like your better than the rest of us just because you have more gold to spend on useless trinkets, that do no one any good and sit on your stupid, expensive shelves, to rot!" Natsu snarled. Zeref hadn't thought he was very stuck-up. But perhaps, somewhere along the way, he had gotten used to people abiding by his every command. It was how he grew up. It wasn't like you could expect any different from him. still, was that really an excuse for what he knew was garish behavior? After all, Natsu had grown up in an environment where he was taught to serve his master and obey them no matter what. And here HE was defying Zeref and making his life genuinely difficult.

"I guess I am." Zeref said softly. He hadn't thought about it really. Natsu rolled his eyes and mumbled something. "What?" Zeref asked. Natsu glanced at him, his scowl deepened.

"Nothing." He said. Zeref was suspicious, but he let it go.

"Alright." He said quietly.

"So why am I here anyway?" Natsu grumbled. "How can I serve you?" He said mockingly. Zeref sighed.

"I don't know why I called you here." Zeref said quietly. "I suppose I just wanted to see you again."

"See me?" Natsu said doubtfully. Zeref nodded.

"I think that… you're interesting, unlike any other slave I've ever met."

"Oh, so I'm an interesting thing. You want to see what makes me different like some science experiment. Like I'm not even human!" Natsu spat distastefully. Zeref frowned. He didn't quite think like that. He merely liked Natsu better because he didn't bend over backwards like everyone else. He told Natsu this. "Oh, so now you like me better because I work better than any of your other toys." Zeref scowled this time.

"Stop twisting my words around! That's not what I said!" Zeref cried. Natsu crossed his arms with a scowl of his own.

"I'm merely saying what you meant." Zeref growled in frustration.

"That was not what I meant!" he cried. Natsu didn't look convinced. Zeref rubbed his temple. This boy, if nothing else, was troublesome. "You know what, fine, think whatever you want. You're just a slave, it's not like your opinions ACTUALLY matter." Zeref said.

"Well, for my opinion not mattering, you sure seem to care a lot about it."

"I'm the future king, it is my job to take other's opinions into account." Zeref grumbled. Natsu shrugged.

"You'll soon see that it doesn't matter if you're future king or not." Natsu said. Zeref narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Zeref asked, bemused.

"Just that your destruction is inevitable." Zeref's frown deepened in confusion. Zeref opened his mouth to speak but Natsu had already crossed the room. Zeref had barely seen him move. Zeref raised his arms as if expecting an attack. The hit didn't come but Natsu had managed to fluidly slip through his defenses. Natsu put a finger to his lips as if to shush him. that was another odd thing, no one had ever shushed him. and no one had ever touched him without his permission. "Don't say anything. It's useless." Zeref knitted his brows together in confusion. He was trying to understand. "Come on, you can't possibly not understand. You're a smart little prince, that much is obvious. So, why don't you actually use that big brain of yours." Zeref frowned and started thinking. Natsu came here and everyone started acting a little strange. Even his fiancé started acting a little weird. Natsu wasn't like all the other slaves. He didn't have the spirit of someone who was born into slavery. His will was still strong and his spirit unbreakable. That was when it occurred to Zeref that Natsu didn't act like a slave, he acted like a rebel. Natsu saw the moment Zeref's expression turned from confused to comprehension. That was when Natsu restrained him. "We're taking over the kingdom, and there's nothing you can do to stop us." Natsu told him. Zeref struggled in his grip, but Natsu was physically stronger.

"What are you going to do to us?" Zeref snarled. "And where's my fiancé?" Natsu smirked.

"You mean Mavis?" Zeref's eyes narrowed.

"That's princess Mavis to you, traitor!" Zeref snarled. Natsu laughed.

"Wow, she really played you for a fool. If you really must know then your "fiancé" orchestrated the whole thing." Natsu said, smirking. Zeref frowned. No, Mavis liked him, she would never do that to him and his country. "I suppose men really are blinded by beauty." Zeref's scowl deepened. He was NOT blinded by her beauty. He wasn't the one yielding to her every command. But she'd led him into a trap of her own. She pretended. When she told him, she didn't really love him maybe she was giving him a hint as to what was coming. The dance, the music, she knew that once the castle was overtaken that he wouldn't be able to play for her again. she had warned him in her own way and he'd been too stupid to see it. Too blinded.

"I see you understand now. That look of betrayal is plainly written on your face." Natsu told him. Zeref ignored him and twisted violently in his hold. Natsu squeezed tighter and hauled him upright. Zeref felt himself thrown over Natsu's shoulder. "Come on, it's no use struggling." The doors to his bedroom opened and they walked into the hall.

Everything was in pandemonium. Servants and slaves alike were everywhere, taking down the guards. Rebels had invaded the castle in their red tunics that marked the symbol of their rebellion. Zeref didn't struggle as violently anymore. He'd said that he didn't want to be king. He'd said it to Mavis hundreds of times before. Zeref concentrated and tried to remember everything he'd told her. he started to realize more and more that he'd told her things he hadn't told anyone else. She made him feel more comfortable than he'd realized.

Blood covered the once clean halls and. It was everywhere and only the sight of it reminded Zeref that he had magic. His eyes narrowed, he could put up a fight. He looked around. Bodies were everywhere and Natsu was somehow avoiding them all. The soldiers were outnumbered. Servants held knives and pans. None of THEM could use magic. It was a rare gift these days, so when the next ruler wielded what many deemed an impossible skill, they respected him even more.

Zeref knew, even with magic on his side that there was no way he could win. But Zeref wasn't a cowered either. He would fight to protect this kingdom until he could not fight any longer. He had been taught long ago that rebels sought to overthrow the monarchs, however, he'd also been taught that they didn't understand how horrible that would be. If there was no ruler everything was up for grabs. Murders would happen in large masses, people going out of business, no ruler, no rules, no society, only chaos and destruction as people scrambled to adapt in this new world. A perfect, sound opportunity for another country to invade and enslave them all.

Zeref twisted around and kicked Natsu as hard as he could. The former slave cried out in annoyance and tried to grab on to him, but Zeref was already moving. Dark energy gathered in his palm. As black as the night with no stars. Natsu lit his fists on fire.

Zeref could now tell that indeed, Natsu was a powerful wizard. But ever since he was young Zeref had been a genius in magic, if nothing else. The slave stood no chance against him. "Natsu." It was his fiancé. She walked down the hall, dressed in red. The color of rebellion. Zeref gritted his teeth. Natsu had not been lying, and Zeref had been right to conclude what he had. "You can't beat him with magic alone. you'll need my help." Natsu nodded. Zeref took another step back. If the rebels succeeded it was almost certain he would be put to death. And chaos would take hold. If Zeref ran, however, there was still hope to rebuild their country. It would be seen as a cowardice action, but there was strategy to such a plan. It's what his father would do. and now, just to spite him, Zeref stayed, and he fought.

Natsu threw the first fireball his way. Zeref stopped it. He was a master of fire magic. He could control it. He held the fire with one hand and with the other casted the dark energy spell. Mavis shielded them from the attack and Natsu went in again.

Zeref was skilled with multiple types of magic, but he still wasn't sure if he could defeat the both of them in battle. Truth be told he had no idea how powerful Natsu actually was, but he did know that Mavis was also skilled in magic. Another reason why his father chose her to be his wife. Natsu breathed fire at him. it was then that Zeref recognized his magic. It was an ancient type of magic that could only be learned from the beasts themselves. It was dragon slayer magic, meant to slay dragons. It was lost magic, and very powerful. "You're not the only one who possesses lost magic." Zeref told him. Zeref was a master of the dark arts. He could summon death in the palm of his hand. He also had a spell called death predation, although that would kill a number of people in the vicinity and Zeref had no use for corpses.

Soon, a number of rebels had joined the battle both wizards and non-wizards attacking him. Zeref was extremely skilled in the art of magic, however he was too overwhelmed. It was either use the death predation or let himself be overcome by the masses. Neither option was very appealing. Still, his father would've told him to use the death predation. _Maintain balance at all costs._ He would say. Zeref had never been big on balance.

He'd decided he'd rather die in a world of chaos, pure, then live in a world of order, a murderer. So, in the end they got him. Zeref fell to the floor, his life dwindling slightly. He'd used too much magic. It wasn't healthy.

When Zeref awoke he was in a dark cell. Everything was silent. Zeref couldn't see a thing. The fact that he was in a cell meant that the rebels had won. "Son." Zeref jumped at the sudden voice that filled the darkness.

"Father?" Zeref wondered quietly.

"Yes, it's me. So, you lost in a battle of magic." Zeref was silent. He didn't like the tone in his father's voice.

"Yes, I did. Although, what did you expect? There must've been fifty wizards. And fifty more non-wizards all fighting me at the same time. There was nothing I could've done." Zeref said.

"What about that spell you're always telling me about. Death predation I think." Zeref looked away. He could never tell his father his reasoning. Not only would he not understand but he would think it was a ludicrous reason. To his father, order was more important than morality. Maybe, it was thoughts like those that caused the rebels to rebel.

"I was too low on magic power. I wouldn't have been able to cast it properly and would've died." Zeref lied.

"Who cares?" his father asked. "The rebels would be taken care of and order would be restored." Zeref's frown deepened.

"But… I would be dead." Zeref said.

"Then I would've had a new heir. Who cares if I had to rule for another eighteen years?" Zeref scowled now.

"I'm sure you would've been happier with that arrangement." He said irritably.

"We all would've. There would be balance and you would've died a hero. Now all you die for is because they think you're a tyrant." Zeref sighed. that's what his father had never understood. The fact that being king was more than image. Not only was it how the people viewed you, but how you viewed yourself. And Zeref was fine with dying a tyrant. So long as he knew he was good.

"Have they told us when the execution is?" Zeref asked, changing the subject. He couldn't see his father in the darkness, but somehow, Zeref was sure he was looking at him. the cuffs on his wrists clinked together as he shifted. They held tight to his hands. Zeref was painfully aware of them.

"Today." His father said. Zeref blinked. He had less than twenty-four hours to live. he wasn't sure how he felt about that. The logical thing to feel would be grief. But surprisingly neither of them had dropped to their knees in despair.

"Am I supposed to feel something?" Zeref whispered.

"You are supposed to feel pride in your country." His father told him. Zeref blinked. That was probably the truest thing he'd ever said. Zeref frowned and nodded, though he knew his father couldn't see it.

Later, the door opened. It was the slave and Mavis. She was staring at him as if waiting for him to say something. He wasn't sure what she wanted him to say. How could you? Did you ever really care?... I wish you were dead? To be honest, Zeref had nothing to say to her. he wasn't quite angry, no, but what he did feel was cold. Numb. He could ask any of those questions but all of them were rhetorical. He already knew the answer. She could do this to him because she never really cared. And that answered both of those questions. Inside, he already felt dead. He'd steeled himself not to say a word.

They pushed him and his father forward, out of the dark cell. He was about to be killed. Why did he feel so empty? Zeref wasn't sure. Zeref walked down the dark hall toward the exit door. Mavis walked in front and Natsu behind them. Zeref was drained, and even if what he wore were not magic suppressing cuffs, Zeref wouldn't have been able to use magic.

The large wooden doors were pushed open and sunlight hit the two of them. They were led into the middle of a large circle. People were scattered everywhere. Some cheered, others sobbed, and a few screamed, outraged by what was happening. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry." Mavis told him quietly as she led him up on to the platform. Zeref saw two ropes hanging. A trap door lay under them. Zeref's throat constricted tightly. She had spoken to him. maybe she did care for something. He could tell this hurt her, could see her tears. Zeref thought that tears were useless things, though, that could be his father speaking.

Zeref climbed the steps and stood as Natsu started speaking of their tyrannical rule, and what they were being hung for. Zeref swallowed. Natsu walked over and quietly secured the noose around his father's neck. "Any last words?" Natsu asked him. his father was silent staring at Natsu.

"For Fiore." He whispered quietly. Then, Natsu glared at him and pulled the lever. The trap door opened, and the rope pulled taut. Zeref watched unblinking as his father was alive for a second longer, and then his eyes clouded over. It was a terrifying sight to say the least.

Then Natsu went on to talk about his crimes. Zeref could hear Mavis's quiet cries. His bounds were starting to hurt even more as the minutes ticked on.

Suddenly as the noose was pulled around his neck Zeref realized why he wasn't sad. why Mavis was the one crying instead of him, even though he was the one that was dying. It was precisely because Zeref was the one dying. He wouldn't be around to grieve. He wouldn't be around to care. He accepted that he was going to die, resigned himself to it. It would be his last day on Earth, his last breath, his last word. But it wouldn't be him left. It would be those who cared about him. his subjects, his guards, perhaps even Mavis if he dared to hope.

"Any last words?" Natsu asked him. He could feel Mavis's eyes on him, willing something to happen so that he might escape. Zeref wasn't foolish enough to believe that would happen. Natsu's expression was blank, his eyes steely. But Zeref could tell that Natsu had prepared all day. Ready to pull the lever, but ready not to pull it as well. As for Zeref. He still felt empty. Nothing truly mattered anymore. His life was about to end and things had never been clearer. He could ask himself what his life really meant but that would be a fruitless endeavor. So, he was content in knowing what his life didn't mean. Nothing else truly mattered. However, Zeref did have last words and his expression never changed. He was determined for it not to. But, his eyes did harden. This was his country. Be proud, his father had said.

"For Fiore." He said, his voice firm. And when the trapped door opened Zeref thought, for a moment the air underneath would catch him. In a way he was glad it didn't.

* * *

 **A/N Did I make you cry? Be honest. It's alright if you didn't, though, I probably would've since I cry when characters die, or anything else sad. I'm serious, one time I was sitting on the couch, reading a book and one of the characters lost his memories and I burst out sobbing. My parents and my sister actually came in to see what was wrong. I told them someone lost their memories the book I'm reading and they were like, "oh." and walked away. Now they hang it over my head whenever I say I can handle something scary. Their like, "Remember that time where you burst out crying just because a character lost their memories? I don't think you can handle it." And I'm like** **-_- …** **Seriously? That was because it was SAD not SCARY totally different things! Oh, and the book was called Legend by Marie Lu. Awesome book! You guys should check it out. Anyway, what are some books you've cried for? I'd love to check them out. Reviews and constructive criticism appreciated. Thanks for reading and goodbye!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref is the reaper. He guides dead souls into the afterlife. His entire life revolves around death, and never has he even thought about sparing someone's life when he knows it's their time. Now, again, he waits for a little boy to die in his sleep. In a few ways the boy's already dead, and he and Zeref have a conversation. When it's time to take the little boy's life Zeref's ready. This is what he's done since forever. He never grows old, he was never born, he doesn't live, he's not human, and he doesn't feel human emotions. But if that's so, then why does he hesitate?**

 **Warning: Suicide (not graphic)**

* * *

Zeref sighed. he was in the hospital, again. there was someone else dying today. This time, a young boy. Zeref watched with empty eyes as the doctors rushed two-and-fro to try and bring him back. And all Zeref could do was watch. The parents were beside the small boy, their eyes filled with tears. "Please my little dragon, stay with us." The man whispered. His name was Igneel. The woman only buried her face in her husband's clothing, but her shoulders were shaking from the sobs that wracked her body. Zeref knew that the boy's time was almost here. He was the reaper after all.

After a few minutes of watching the couple sob the doctors came back. The couple looked at them with desperate eyes, too far gone to feel hopeful but not so far as to feel hopeless. The doctor's faces were grave. "I'm sorry to say but… the boy will not be waking up from the coma. It's up to you when we pull the plug." The woman was overcome with a new wave of desperate sobs.

"Can't you do anything." The doctor shook her head.

"I wish we could." She whispered and then left. Zeref watched her go. He had known the child was going to die from the beginning. He wouldn't be here if he wasn't. but still, some part of him had still hoped that the doctor would say she had one more trick up her sleeve. In many ways Zeref was much like the sobbing couple. Not hopeful, but not hopeless either. Zeref watched as the child materialized in an intangible form. Until he died he would be in limbo. Much like Zeref was.

"What's happening?" the child asked. Zeref walked over to the small child and kneeled in front of him.

"We'll be leaving soon." he told the child. The pink-haired boy frowned at him.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. he turned to look at the couple his expression becoming even more confused.

"Why are mommy and daddy crying?" he asked. his questions did not give Zeref pause. There were many that had asked him this over the course of his very long life.

"They have lost something precious." The boy tilted his head.

"What have they lost?" he asked.

"They've lost all hope." The child continued frowning, obviously not understanding and ultimately not attempting to.

"Who are you?" he asked instead.

"I've come to guide you." Zeref said. The child's eyes suddenly lit up at that.

"Are you my guardian Angel?" he asked excitedly. No, Zeref was nothing like a guardian angel. He reaped souls and guided them to afterlife. He let death take them. Guardian angels were meant to save people from death. Zeref sought it out.

"I will guide you." Zeref said again. the child raised an eyebrow obviously confused by his answers.

"I'll take that as a yes." He said. Zeref honestly didn't care the child could take it however he saw fit. The child kept on staring at his parents with that sad expression. "How do I make the hope come back?" Natsu asked.

"Not even I have that answer." Zeref said. Mortal lives were so short. It honestly disturbed him how someone so young could be taken by someone like him. how mortals could die in just one instant. And to think of the ones who were left behind. Zeref didn't ponder too hard on death. It was too painful a subject, even for the reaper himself. Zeref was almost glad that he had never had to watch someone he knew killed. He was old. Billions of years old. Older than time itself. Ever since there was death, there he was. even before death he was there. Waiting for it. That was his only purpose in life. to reap the souls of those that were meant to die. Was anyone meant to die? Zeref didn't think so.

"How come mommy and daddy are in there?" the boy asked.

"Because that's where they went." Zeref said. The child seemed to understand this. But still he frowned. Zeref would never be able to relay the kind of grief his parents must be going through at the moment. After all, Zeref had never experienced grief of any kind. But it sure looked painful.

"Where are you guiding me to?"

"A place where even your wildest of dreams can come true." The child's eyes lit up.

"You mean, I can even see dragons!" he cried with excitement. Zeref smiled sadly and nodded.

"Yes, you can see dragons." The child bit his lip and looked around before looking into Zeref's eyes.

"Can mommy and daddy come with us?" he asked. Zeref closed his eyes.

"No." he said softly. The child frowned.

"Then I don't want to go." He said. Zeref glanced at the child and bent down.

"What is your name, child?" Zeref asked. it was common curtesy. Zeref already knew his name after all. He knew the name of all things living.

"Natsu!" the child exclaimed. Zeref smiled softly.

"A nice name. you should be proud of it." Zeref said Natsu nodded enthusiastically.

"I am." He said. Zeref blinked and sighed. The silence didn't last long before the child spoke up again. "Say, I want to play a game." Natsu said. Zeref blinked.

"A… game?" he wondered. He'd heard of games, of course. Death was always everywhere, so he was as well. He'd seen humans play these games and had honestly thought it was rather stupid. After all, it served no purpose other than silly entertainment. And that obscured the thought process of why any of them were really here. Humans had pondered this question before. None of them had the mind capacity to understand. Ironically, it wasn't until after death did some humans understand what it meant to be alive. Natsu smiled at him,

"Yeah, a game! Don't tell me you've never played one before!" he exclaimed.

"I haven't." Zeref said. He hadn't any intention to either.

"How come?" Natsu asked him.

"Because there's no need to. Games are trivial things that serve no purpose in this world." Natsu stared at him blankly.

"Well sure they do." he argued. Zeref raised an eyebrow. No one had argued with the reaper. Not in all his years. Many were scared of him. children didn't understand. They almost never did. But somehow, they knew something bad had happened and they associated him with it. Zeref didn't mind since that was a natural human reaction. No one had ever been brave enough to argue. Although, it seemed Natsu didn't really see his action as brave. How could he? He didn't know who Zeref was. he didn't know what Zeref signified. He didn't know that Zeref possessed the power of death. "Games are fun!" he cried. "That's a purpose, right?" Zeref blinked at him and then sighed.

"Fine, then they serve a useless purpose." Natsu frowned obviously not understanding how a purpose could be useless.

"How come you don't like games?"

"No one likes useless things." Natsu pouted.

"Well you're obviously wrong since I like games! So, either I'm a part of no one, or games aren't useless after all! I think the second one is most right!" he exclaimed holding up two fingers. Zeref stared at the child impassively

"Maybe." Is all he said. The child glared now.

"I don't like you much anymore. You're not being very nice!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, come now child. I'm only stating my opinions." Natsu glared at the ground.

"Well, I don't like your opinions." Natsu grumbled.

"That's your opinion." He could tell the child was getting very frustrated.

"You're mean! You aren't my guardian angel! I'm not letting you take me anywhere!" Zeref frowned. There were very few that refused to let him guide them to the afterlife. They stayed in limbo part of the world, yet not part of the world either. It was a painful eternal existence. It was his existence.

"I don't think you should do that child. You do not know what you are talking about. Should you not let me guide you, then you will stay here in this state forever… alone." Zeref said. Natsu peered at him curiously.

"Are you alone?"

"I only have people like you to keep me company." Natsu blinked.

"People like me? What is happening to me anyway? Why am I in here instead of in there?" Natsu said pointing to the other side of the glass. "With mommy and daddy." Zeref supposed that there were no hiding things now.

"You are in a near-death state." Zeref said.

"What?" Natsu asked taking a few steps back.

"I am the reaper, come to guide you to the afterlife." Zeref said. Natsu stared with wide eyes.

"Is that why you're so lonely?"

"Is what why I'm so lonely?" Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Because you're the reaper! People are afraid of you! That's why you're so lonely!" Zeref frowned but nodded.

"Yes… people are afraid. They think I reap lives when really I only guide them to the afterlife once they are dead." Zeref said. Natsu gave him a sympathetic look.

"You've never had a friend, have you?" Natsu asked. Zeref shook his head.

"The reaper does not have friends." The child smiled and hugged him around the waist.

"I could be your friend." The child said happily. Zeref slowly let a small sad smile cross his features. He knew that perhaps Natsu wanted to be his friend, but even if he was Zeref would still be lonely. Natsu would go on to the afterlife and Zeref would stay. In limbo, guiding souls, until death did not exist. Even then, Zeref would be there, waiting for death to be apart of the world once more. It brought a whole new meaning to the word eternity. Because Zeref would be perpetually in limbo, apart of the world, yet not apart of it. It was the loneliest existence in the world. Zeref didn't even have an option for death. You can't die if you never lived, after all.

"I would like that." Zeref said instead of going on and on about his thoughts. This child wouldn't understand anyway. Natsu smiled at him and turned to face the window again.

"Alright. I guess I'll let you guide me then. And we can be happy there, forever." The child said. "And when mommy and daddy come too, we'll all be happy!" Natsu exclaimed. Zeref only nodded. "So, how much longer till I die? you can tell stuff like that, right?" Natsu asked hopefully. Zeref smiled slightly.

"You will die when it's time for you to die." Natsu wrinkled his nose.

"That's a cheap answer!" he cried.

"Yet it's an answer all the same." Zeref said and watched as Natsu's parents stared at Natsu.

"You're sure he has no hope for recovery?" the mother asked. the doctor frowned.

"Well, of course there's a chance. There's always a chance but… listen, you're not the only ones who've ever had this happen. There've been other people I've told that there was a chance. It never happened. They waited years to pull the plug. They only pulled it when I told them that it was only prolonging the guilt and grief." The doctor said. "It is, your choice though. There's a chance. I'm just saying that it's very slim. Nothing short of a miracle will wake your son up. I'm sorry." The mother burst into a new round of tears.

Zeref stared with sad eyes. He understood why they waited too. Any hope, no matter how slim, was something. People wanted to believe in miracles. It was too bad death didn't give second chances. The mother turned to Natsu's body. "Natsu…" she whispered. "My baby, I'm so sorry. I wish… this never should've happened." She sobbed. In an instant his life would be taken. "I miss you sweetie." She said, touching his face. Natsu was banging on the glass.

"I'm right here!" he screamed. The banging on the glass could not be heard, however, and he had no voice.

"The dead have no voice in the living." Zeref stated. Natsu fell to his knees and cried.

"I'm not dead!" he screamed. "Not yet… so why can't she hear me!" Zeref stared ahead.

"I honestly don't know. I'm not dead either, yet they can not hear my voice." Natsu didn't answer.

"Mommy, daddy." He whispered, touching the glass. "I'm right here." And Natsu was right. He was right there, but no one heard him. no one would ever hear him again. no one except Zeref.

"I love you, baby… mommy loves you." Igneel put his hands on his wife's shoulders.

"Daddy does too." Igneel said. The couple looked at each other and Zeref could see the instant their eyes hardened. "We want to pull the plug." Igneel said.

"Are you sure?" the doctor asked.

"YES!" Natsu's mother screamed and then her face fell again. "I mean… please do it, before I change my mind." She whispered.

It was hard, Zeref knew. He did not know what grief felt like, but he did understand that it felt hopeless. And Zeref did know what that felt like. He could almost hear the questions running through her mind. What if he wakes up? What if he would've woken up? What if I pulled the plug and he would've woken up? What if I had only waited one more day? Would he still be with us? "It's time for me to do my job." Zeref said, walking forward. He passed through the glass over to Natsu's body.

The doctor pulled the plug to the machines keeping Natsu alive. Without them, Natsu would die. Zeref looked from Natsu, to his parents. Natsu who was screaming that he was here, to the parents with dead, hopeless looks on their face. Zeref wondered if with every singular death, there was more than one life he was reaping. Death was apart of life. all living things died, such was the natural circle of life. that cycle was never meant to be tampered with.

However, for once in, he couldn't reap Natsu's life. he couldn't take it. This boy deserved to live. he deserved to laugh and cry and play and grow up. He deserved love and hope and peace and all the things that came with being able to feel.

What was wrong with him. Zeref felt a twinge in his astral body. It hurt and overcame his body. It was so consuming, and it happened so fast that Zeref couldn't help the choked noise that escaped him. he didn't know what was wrong. he didn't know why his hands were shaking or why water poured out of his eyes. "Mr. Reaper, sir… are you crying?" Natsu asked.

Crying? Was this what humans called it? No! this was an emotion. A feeling. This was a human feeling! Zeref didn't feel anything. His life was a cycle of taking, and reaping, and death. Zeref was the reaper. He was death itself. He took lives with no regrets. It was the cycle. Zeref had to uphold it. But he couldn't reap this boy's life! he couldn't. it hurt so much! Too much. Zeref couldn't take it.

"I can't…" he whispered. "I can't do it." He stared incredulously at the body in front of him. not dead, yet not alive. Zeref took lives, not gave them. However, if he didn't take their lives then they were always there to begin with. Natsu was not dead. And Zeref would not make him so.

"What's happening?" Natsu asked. his ghost-like body started disappearing. "Mr. Reaper, sir, what's happening!" Natsu cried. "I… I thought I was dead!"

"You are not dead." Zeref told him.

"Then… I thought I was going to die. it's my time to die now, isn't it?" Zeref stared at the child.

"When it's time for you to die… you will die." Zeref told him. "It was not your time yet. And so, you live." Natsu frowned.

"But what about you? I promised I'd be your friend." Zeref smiled sadly.

"It's of no importance." Zeref said. "I have existed since eternity. I have always been. I always will be. Compared to that, a century or so for me is like a day to you humans. I will see you again." Natsu blinked at him.

"That's cool." Natsu said. "But, I'll still be your friend, even if I can't see you." Natsu said. "I'll talk to you even if you're not there." Natsu told him happily.

"You would do that for me?" Zeref asked. Natsu grinned.

"Well, of course I would!" He exclaimed. Zeref sighed.

"I'm sorry to tell you this but… once you wake up this will all seem like a dream." Zeref told him. it would seem like a dream, even if it was reality. Natsu didn't look deterred.

"I don't care if it is a dream. I don't care if this is real. I'll still talk to you. You'll always be my friend." Natsu paused. "My best friend." He said. "But, I'll need to know your name. I can't just keep calling you Mr. Reaper, sir." Natsu said. "That's too formal for how friends talk to each other!" Zeref blinked. He wasn't supposed to tell humans his name, but he supposed it didn't matter. He'd already broken nearly all of his own rules today, so what did one more matter?

"Zeref." Is all he said. And then Natsu was gone. He watched the boy on the bed open his eyes.

"Mommy, daddy?" he whispered hoarsely. His parents gasped, and they stared at Natsu a moment. That was before Igneel bounced into action.

"Doctor! DOCTOR!" he screamed running out of the room. Natsu's mother only cried.

"My baby… Natsu." She whispered and sobbed.

"I'm okay, mommy." Natsu said. His mother nodded and buried her face in her hands.

The doctor came running back and hooked the machine back in, mumbling, "I can't believe it." To herself, probably questioning herself as a medical professional.

"I had the strangest dream." Natsu told his mommy. Zeref only smiled at the boy and his family. Zeref turned to leave. There was another life that needed reaping elsewhere. His angels of death told him to handle this one. Much like they had told him to handle Natsu. Zeref knew Natsu would think his time with Zeref just a dream. And maybe he was. maybe it was all a dream. But Zeref felt no need to wake up. Not yet, at least. "Zeref." The boy whispered. Zeref froze. "I don't know if you're really a dream or not." He said. "But I promised I'd talk to you even if you weren't around to hear me."

"What's wrong with him?" Igneel asked.

"He's in a state of shock. He's just a little delirious is all." The doctor reassured him.

"Goodbye for now." Natsu said. Zeref blinked and then smiled. Not sadly either. It was simply a smile of joy. "I said for now because I know you'll be back… next time I'm about to die." then he laughed. Zeref turned away and left. He'd spared Natsu's life. he had no idea why he'd done such a thing, but he had. And Zeref was actually glad he had. Another human emotion. Strange. Perhaps he didn't feel human emotions, not because he was not human, but because there was no one around to share the emotions with. Emotions were rather useless when there was no one to understand them with you.

So, years passed and now Zeref watched. It was amusing to think that there really was such a thing as the end of the world. Humans, scattered, every man for himself, out there. Zeref had reaped many lives over the last few years. One here, one there, and lots, lots more, everywhere. "This is the end of the world. I knew aliens existed." Natsu said, smirking. "I don't know if you're here Zeref. I don't know if you're listening." But Zeref was always listening. "I don't know if you're a dream or not, and I guess this is one way to find out. I won't let them take me. I won't let them have the satisfaction of turning me into a mindless soldier." He spat. Zeref knew Natsu was about to die. they were standing on top of a tall building, the sun about to set. Zeref had come here to reap his life. his other angels had tried to do it for him, but Zeref refused. He would reap Natsu's life this time. It was his time. "I won't let them get me." He said, stepping toward the edge. "Zeref, you gave me this second chance at life. And I can't help but feel I'm wasting it. I'm so sorry… but I hope that you understand regardless." Zeref watched as Natsu stepped off the edge of the building. Down, down, down he went. "Like an angel falling from the heavens." Zeref thought amusedly.

When Natsu's body hit the ground there Zeref stood. Natsu, next to him staring down at his body. "You are real." Natsu whispered. Zeref smiled.

"Of course, I'm real. I'm the reaper. I guide people over to the afterlife. It is my job." Natsu frowned.

"I don't like that job."

"Then it's a good thing it's not yours. Come now, let me guide you into the afterlife."

"What about you though? I promised to be your friend forever." Zeref smiled.

"We don't have to be together for us to be best friends." Zeref said. Natsu frowned.

"But we won't be able to talk, or hug, or play games or pranks!" Natsu cried.

"But we will know of the other's existence. We will know that we are friends, thus making us content that at least we have that." Natsu sighed.

"Somehow, you make even being friends depressing." Natsu said. Zeref shrugged.

"I am surrounded my death. Sorry I'm not happy." Natsu pouted.

"When you say it that way…" Natsu trailed off. Zeref took Natsu's hand. He was already turning transparent, fading away.

"Come. Your happiness awaits." Zeref said.

"But what about your happiness?"

"My happiness is from the joy of knowing that you are happy." Then Natsu faded and Zeref was left alone, in the middle of the apocalypse, smiling.

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 **A/N So what did you think? I thought the ending kind of sucks. I hate the ones where everything's about to turn out alright and then... they all die. But, if you think about it, Natsu got to live a full life. There was nothing really left for him in the living world. And Zeref got to watch over Natsu and then guide him into the afterlife, knowing that they were friends. It isn't a typical happily-ever-after, but Zeref's the reaper, so what did you expect? Anyway, thanks for reading, I really appreciate it, reviews and constructive criticism welcome. I'm sorry if these aren't very good, but this is my first fanfic and I'm still trying to figure everything out. Have a good day, and I'll post again later tonight!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref is a half-zombie, a freak of nature. He knows he should be an impossibility but he still tries to find a place where he belongs. When he comes across a group of survivors he's surprised that he feels inclined to help them, and only then does he start to remember the importance of being human. Because while half zombie he may be, that means the other half of him is still undoubtedly human.**

* * *

Zeref was a half zombie. He was dead yes, but he didn't feel the need to eat brains. Now, some might say that would make him a vampire, but the thing was that Zeref didn't have a need for blood either. So, Zeref felt that the correct term would be zombie. Or perhaps simply undead.

Now, the question was if they were in the middle of an apocalypse. Yes, they were. Did Zeref help zombies kill people? No. did he help survivors escape zombies? Also no. Zeref didn't really fit into either category. The zombies figured he was enough like them that they ignored him. the survivors were too scared to even try to approach him. Zeref was currently walking through town. He figured he could pick up a bag of chips somewhere or something. Technically, he was dead, so he didn't need to eat. However, he took a certain comfort in comfort foods just like any other sane person.

Now came the question of how many people Zeref killed. Let's just say he couldn't count them all on one hand. A few of them were zombies, but others were survivors that made Zeref mad. In fact, Zeref had killed millions, he just didn't want to admit how. When you were dead, you could afford to be offended. Now, Zeref did have the disease and he knew at any moment it could finish his brain off and he'd become brain dead. Zeref couldn't be killed with a bullet. It works for other zombies because the head is where most of the disease is. That's why they have a need for brains. But not Zeref. He was dead, and his disease was everywhere. If a survivor aimed really well then Zeref might be down for the rest of his eternal life, but he wouldn't be dead. He was already dead. He couldn't die twice.

To be honest, Zeref wasn't even sure what kind of abomination he was. it was completely unheard of and shouldn't even be possible. When the human died the disease animated it's body. And once the hosts body wasn't able to continue functioning, it stopped moving, giving the appearance that it was dead when really, it simply didn't have enough strength to stand upright. Zeref on the other hand, was still dead yet he maintained his humanity. It shouldn't have been possible since he wasn't being animated. Zeref tried not to think about it. It only made his brain hurt and reminded him that he was a freak.

Zeref finally found the convenience store and grabbed some chips. He honestly didn't care if they were stale or not. Zeref liked the comforting crunch they brought. Zeref was dead, meaning he couldn't taste anything. He didn't feel anything either, or smell. Although, he could see and hear fine.

Zeref didn't find much in his life to be entertaining, so when he saw a group of survivors getting chased by zombies he was intrigued. He didn't have anything else to do, so he watched, interested. He decided that he'd have a little fun with these survivors.

He climbed up the ladder onto the rooftop. He could already see the pink-haired male beckoning everyone else up on the roof. Zeref saw one girl with blonde hair get scratched. "Lucy!" the pink-haired guy shouted. The girl shrieked and batted the zombie aside. Zeref shook his head sadly. A bite would've been worse, but this Lucy girl would die in a few days. It was inevitable. Maybe he should just leave them be. Lucy looked like she was having a mental breakdown and her other three friends looked just as creeped out. "Come on Zeref, you're a half zombie. Survivors are your personal entertainment." Zeref thought to himself and then shook his head.

"Hey, you guys look lost." Zeref said. The raven-haired boy whirled around with a bat in his hand.

"It's a zombie!" he shrieked. Zeref put a finger to his lips.

"Quiet down or you'll attract even more of them!" Zeref whispered harshly. The man looked him up and down incredulously. He shook his head. Zeref knew his expression well. It was the expression of disbelief.

"You're… not a zombie?" he asked. Zeref shook his head. "But you're so pale and thin like you haven't eaten in months… and you have a bite on your neck!" he backed away again. he obviously figured that Zeref was going to turn soon.

"Relax, I've been this way for years." Zeref said. "I'm a half zombie." The dark-haired man rolled his eyes.

"That's impossible. You'd have to be… have to be…" he trailed off obviously needing to rethink on exactly why it was impossible for Zeref to be half zombie.

"I'd have to be not dead, yet not alive either. The disease has killed me, yet I've retained my humanity. An abomination, an impossibility. I've heard it all." Zeref said, his mouth tilting upward. Zeref had long-since stopped wondering about how exactly it was possible for him to be human. Zeref was smart, a prodigy he'd been told. He knew he had a high IQ.

"So, does this mean you can fight the disease?" Lucy asked hopefully. Zeref stared at her with a frown. No, he didn't even know how the disease worked, much less how to cure it even half way.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how this is possible. I don't know anything about the disease, except what everyone has already figured out about it. It's deadly, you gain it through scratches and bites from the infected. You can incapacitate it by shooting it in the head. Things like this. I'm no closer to finding a cure than anyone else." He said. He watched her face crumple with sadness. Zeref frowned. "But it's not too late to try I suppose.

"It's no use." The dark-haired man said. "She's infected. She'll become a zombie sooner or later." The girl known as Lucy burst into tears.

"Would you shut up!" the pink-haired man shouted. The two glared at each other.

"On a side note, are you four even going to introduce yourselves?" he asked skeptically. The two turned their glares on him.

"I'm Gray Fullbuster." The dark-haired one said.

"Natsu Dragneel." Said the pink guy.

"I'm Erza Scarlet." Zeref turned to the red-headed beauty. He hadn't even noticed her there because she hadn't spoken yet. But now that he looked he noticed she looked to be the equivalent of fire.

"A-And I'm L-Lucy Heartfillia." The blond sniffed and then burst into a new round of tears. Gray turned to her looking annoyed.

"What is your problem?" he asked.

"Her problem is that she knows she's going to die you inconsiderate idiot!" Natsu screamed.

"All of you shut up!" Erza growled. "You're going to attract them and then we're all going to die."

"She's right." Zeref said quietly. The two boys glared at each other once again. Lucy was still sobbing quietly, holding her arm. It was already turning the angry red that meant infection. "Come, follow me, I know a place we can hide." Zeref was surprised at his own words. He'd never helped a survivor before. frowning, Zeref turned around and beckoned for them to follow.

"Wait, how do we even know we can trust him! he might seem human, but he's still infected! He could be leading us to his other zombie friends, so they can eat our brains!"

"You can either come with us or stay here and die by yourself." Natsu spat. Lucy, clutching her arm, also got up and followed him mutely. They walked a few minutes before Zeref heard another pair of footsteps behind him.

"You decided to join us Gray?" Lucy whispered. There was silence on the other side of the conversation. Apparently, Gray felt like dying alone wasn't high on his list of priorities.

"Here." Zeref said, opening a large metal bunker. This was his place. And every zombie, stupid or not, knew to stay away from his place. They wouldn't be bothered while they stayed here. Meanwhile, Zeref could try to find a cure again. he was in the lab often, in his first few years of being half zombie. He thought that perhaps, because he was only a half zombie, he might still be alive in some way and therefore could be cured. But his hope was lost. His heart did not beat, his wounds did not heal, nothing hurt, he didn't need to breathe or eat. In every scientific way he was dead. He could not be cured. "This is it." He said quietly.

"And how do we know that this is safe?" Gray asked.

"It's safer than out there. And if it isn't safer, then it's not any more dangerous."

"He's right you know." Erza said.

"Yeah Gray, just trust him, okay?" Lucy said, frowning. Gray glared at her.

"He's a zombie!" Gray cried.

"He's helping us!" Natsu screamed. Zeref watched, vaguely interested as Natsu punched Gray. Gray retaliated by punching Natsu back. Zeref found humans to be very interesting. They could turn on each other in an instant, yet at the same time Zeref didn't think that was quite what was happening. It was less like turning on each other and more like trying to beat some sense into somebody. Each male though he was right, but neither opinions were correct, because they were just that. Opinions. And opinions could not be proven to be right or wrong.

"SHUT UP NATSU YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! ALL ZOMBIES ARE BAD! THEY'VE ALL KILLED PEOPLE! THEY KILLED MY FAMILY! THEY CAN'T BE TRUSTED BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST MINDLESS MONSTERS."

"WELL OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE NOT BECAUSE THIS ONE IS TALKING AND HELPING US YOU STUPID IDIOT!" They each took one step back and glared at each other. "Well, if you didn't think they were to be trusted, then why did you follow us?" Natsu demanded. Gray was silent and stared at his feet.

"Well… that roof got overrun and I wasn't sure where to go… so, I just figured it was better than aimlessly wandering about." He mumbled. Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Plus, I knew you would need my help once he betrayed you all." Gray added as an afterthought. Natsu rolled his eyes and flopped down on the bunker's bed.

"Whatever you say, man, but just know that you're wrong!" Natsu said, crossing his arms like a child. Zeref wondered if all humans were this amusing. He wondered, if at some point, he had been this amusing. He wondered just how long it would take for all of them to turn on each other. Gray only glared at Natsu's words and sat down on the other side of the room with a pouty expression on his face. Erza and Lucy were just looking back and forth between the two boys with frowns adorning their pretty features. Zeref sat there utterly amused and trying to predict what would happen next. Such little human contact had left him ignorant of what humans would do in this situation. He saw what sort of tragedies happened when people got desperate enough. It was great to have a little entertainment in his life after years of being dead.

"Oh, we never did catch your name." Lucy said looking at him with her doe brown eyes. They were so innocent despite the world she lived in. Lucy didn't deserve to die. None of these people did. It made Zeref's heart clench and his stomach flip flop.

"Zeref. My name is Zeref." He said to her with a small smile.

"That's… an interesting name… I don't think I've ever heard it before." Lucy said, that loving, innocent little smile lighting up her face. Zeref sighed. sometimes he wished it were him dead instead of the countless others that had been dead and animated.

"My parents wanted something interesting. I do believe you have to give it up to them for originality." Zeref said wistfully. Yes, it should've been him dead. Not innocents like Lucy. Never them.

"Where are they?" she asked quietly. Zeref stared at her. it was fairly obvious that they were dead, and if they weren't it was clear that he would never see his parents again.

"They were killed even before the zombie apocalypse. By a man named Acnologia." Zeref clenched his fists. He should be dead… he wished he were dead. People wouldn't have to suffer if he were dead. "I'm so sorry." He whispered. Zeref's breath caught in his throat and his hands trembled.

"Hey, you don't have anything to be sorry for." Lucy said quietly, gently putting her hand on his arm. On instinct he flinched away, then seeing as it might be offensive he apologized again. "I should be dead." He whispered.

"Yes, you should." Gray growled.

"Gray, just shut up! We know that your family was killed by zombies. Boo hoo, just get over yourself." Natsu screamed, bolting upright. By the way Gray's eyes hardened they all knew Natsu had gone too far. Still, Natsu didn't apologize but his jaw was tight.

"GET OVER MYSELF?" he screamed.

"Gray, calm down." Erza said, trying to sound reasonable. Lucy nodded vigorously. Gray sneered.

"And why would I ever take advice from a dumb blonde and a woman who can't even kill one zombie!" Erza glared at him, flushing from anger.

"You know very well why I couldn't." she growled. "It was him! like you would kill your best friend willingly!"

"A dumb blonde!" Lucy shrieked, tears in her eyes.

"You take all of that back FULLBUSTER!" Natsu screamed.

"And you're just a pink-haired freak!"

"All of you shut up." Zeref whispered quietly. "Stop fighting. There's no need to. Not when it's all my fault."

"What are you talking about?" Gray snarled.

"I… created the zombies." They all stared at him, shocked.

"You would bring that kind of horror upon the world?" Gray asked incredulously. Zeref only stared at his hands, clutching his torn robe as hard as he could.

"I didn't mean to." He whispered. "It was meant to be a cure to all diseases but… it turned out to be a disease instead! I'm so sorry!" he sobbed. They were all silent.

"Hey… it's not your fault. You didn't mean to…" Lucy said. And that was why people like him deserved to die and people like her deserved to live. Zeref closed his eyes. He felt a fist connecting with his face. He didn't need to look up to know it was Gray.

"YOU DID THIS!" he screamed. Zeref felt a blow to his stomach. Zeref let a choke sobbed.

"I'm sorry." Was all he said. It was repeated over and over again, yet Zeref knew it would never be enough to apologize for all the things that he had done. He bit his lips and sobbed.

"Gray stop!" Erza cried.

"Yeah, you're seriously hurting him!" Natsu said. Lucy was only crying and saying something about how there being no need for violence. Zeref didn't fight back. It was okay. Zeref knew he deserved it. He knew he deserved all the punches Gray threw and more. He had single-handedly destroyed the universe. what was wrong with him? what was so messed up inside his head. He heard screaming above him and yelling and growling.

Soon there were no more hits. Natsu and Erza were restraining Gray and Lucy was asking him if he was okay. Zeref only mutely nodded. He knew he couldn't die so all of it was okay. Even though he knew he deserved it. Death. "Let me go!" Gray cried. "Don't you understand that he deserves this! He deserves all of it! He killed millions with his experiments. He killed my friends and your friends and our families! And… and." Gray went limp and was overcome with shaky sobs. In the end Zeref wondered if there was even good and evil. Or, if there were only desperate people and scared people.

"Hey, I know. But killing him isn't going to bring them back." Natsu said quietly, rubbing Gray's back comfortingly.

"I know!" he sobbed. "I know they're never coming back."

"And so, all we can do is live in their place." Erza said placing a hand on Gray's shoulder. He gulped and nodded. Zeref thought that maybe the basis of humans was compassion. Even though Gray had insulted her, all of them, they still helped him. "Besides. We'll always have friends. We just need to go out and meet new people. And in this world our friends are our family. We live with them and talk to them and lean on them. They're all we have left. They understand our pain. They help us. They are not blood, but they are special and irreplaceable all the same." She said quietly. Gray nodded and they all smiled at him.

"And if you ask me, there's a new addition to this little family." Natsu said, smirking. They all looked in Zeref's direction. Zeref, in an attempt at good humor looked behind himself. This did, indeed make them laugh. Zeref had forgotten how easily it was to amuse humans.

"A-Are you sure?"

"Heck yeah we're sure!" Natsu cried. "There's always room for one more in family." Zeref smiled at them.

"Let's continue on when all the people before us could not." Erza said.

"And we can go killing zombies all over the place too!" Gray said. He seemed to be in a happier mood.

"We can go on adventures!" Lucy said in a sing-song voice. Zeref didn't know how he'd gone from zero friends to 4, but it made him smile.

"And we'll go searching for a cure." His eyes locked with Lucy's. he knew her life depended on it. His eyes lightened slightly. They didn't feel so black anymore. "Together." He whispered.

* * *

 **A/N This is my take on the zombie apocalypse. I know Gray isn't the nicest person in this one, but despite how I wrote him he's one of my favorite characters. He's just afraid and filled with anger and grief, so he has to outlet his anger in some form. He has a few anger issues in the anime too and feels extreme hatred toward Zeref. Even though this is an AU I made him feel similar emotions, though they aren't as extreme because it really was an accident, whereas in the anime Zeref means to create Deliora with the intention of harm. Thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref is eleven and being sent to daycare. He's furious about it because he thinks he can take care of himself. He's determined to have the worst day ever merely so he can complain, only, at daycare, it's harder to have the most horrible day than he thought.**

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"Daycare! Mom, I'm eleven!" Zeref cried. "I'm nearly all grown up!"

"You are not! As you're proving to me right now by having an outburst instead of trying to talk it over calmly with me!" his mom cried, clearly exasperated.

"But mom!" Zeref cried. "At daycare there'll only be babies… and girls!" Zeref complained.

"I won't hear another word of it. You're going to that daycare you hear me." Zeref glared.

"Mom." He said reasonably. "All the other kids at school can stay home by themselves now. If I'm the only one that goes to daycare, I'll be the laughing stock!" Zeref cried dramatically.

"Aren't already the laughing stock?" his father asked. His mother shot him a glare and Mr. Black quickly looked back down at the newspaper he was reading. His mom, then, turned to him.

"Listen, honey, I'm just worried. What if something happens? You don't know how to work the stove, or operate a gun, and every time I ask you what number the police is, you answer, 119! I'm sorry baby, I just want you to be safe, you understand, that don't you?"

"No." Zeref said stubbornly. His mother sighed.

"Well, you will when you get older." Zeref growled under his breath. He hated when adults told him he'd understand when he was older! He already was older! He wasn't a child, and he was smart and responsible, and it felt like his parents didn't trust him!

"Mom… what's the likelihood that something will happen?"

"Very slim, but what if it does? I want you to be happy, baby, but I also want you to be safe."

"Fine, whatever, do what you want!" Zeref grumbled unhappily, stomped back up to his room, and slammed the door. He knew that was childish and only proving his mother's point, but he didn't care. He was beyond reasoning.

The next day his mother had to go to work, so she was driving him to daycare. He really did NOT like his mother right now. He knew that came off as sounding like a spoiled brat, but he didn't care about that either. He just didn't like her. "Have a good day honey." His mother said as he got out of the car.

"I won't." he said glaring at her. His mother frowned.

"Do you want me to walk you up?"

"No." his mother was silent.

"Alright well… Love you honey." Zeref only glared at the ground and stomped inside the daycare. He heard his mother sigh and pull out of the parking lot.

Then, Zeref stomped up to the daycare center. He had thought about turning around and walking home but then he realized… he didn't know the way home. "Zeref! There you are." Zeref peered up at the woman.

"Who are you." He asked flatly. The woman smiled.

"My name is Anna Heartfillia, a friend of your mother's. She said you would be here today." She said. The woman had blonde hair and doe-brown eyes and she had a warm, welcoming expression on her face. Zeref instantly hated her.

It wasn't because of anything other than she made it harder for him to hate this place, so he hated her. He wanted to be able to go home and tell his mother he had a horrible day. And this woman was ruining that plan. "Oh, you're so cute!" she exclaimed. Zeref glared at the ground. He. Was. NOT. Cute. He was practically an adult already and Zeref would not tolerate being talked to like he was only three years old.

"I'm eleven, not three." He reminded her curtly. He thought this might deter her, but she only smiled.

"Oh, yes, of course. I beg your pardon, sir." She said. Zeref nodded and marched inside. That was much better. She giggled and he half-realized she was humoring him. The other half thoroughly believed her though. She was an adult. She knew everything and did everything right. She would never tease him…

The daycare looked like a place meant for babies. There were building blocks and rubber ducks. It looked like the most boring place in the world. "How long do I have to stay here?" Zeref asked.

"Until your mother comes and picks you up." Anna responded. Zeref grumbled under his breath and stomped into the room. As he'd suspected there were only babies and little girls there. Zeref couldn't believe this! He was entering Junior High in the next few months and his mother was treating him like some little baby, incapable of taking care of himself! Seriously?

So, Zeref sighed and went to go build something with some stupid blocks, all the while thinking of how he would die of boredom and then his mother would be sorry she ever sent him.

"This is so stupid." Zeref grumbled. "I can't believe their treating me like a child."

"Well then, you could stop acting like one." He heard a voice say behind him. Zeref whirled around, blocks raised as if to defend himself. Then he remembered he was at daycare. No one scary was behind him either. It was just another boy with pink hair. He looked to be a few years older than Zeref with onyx eyes. Another boy his age! Maybe he and Zeref could play!... hang out. That's what Zeref meant, hang out. Like middle schoolers do. Unfortunately, Zeref didn't have much of a filter. So, it came out wrong.

"Hey, you want to play!" Zeref asked and then clapped a hand over his mouth. "I-I mean hang out." The pink-haired boy laughed and patted him on the head.

"Mrs. Heartfillia was right. You ARE adorable." Zeref puffed out his cheeks and glared.

"I am not! I'm almost all grown up and I'm going into 6th grade once the summer ends!" Zeref knew that he acted a little young for his age and he was constantly teased for it. Zeref tried to act more grown-up but he tended to have extreme emotional reactions. Even too little things.

"Sure, we can play." The pink-haired boy said, plopping down beside him. "I'm considered a little old for playing but it can still be fun if you play with the right kind of person." Too old for playing? Zeref eyed the boy up and down.

"Just how old are you?" Zeref asked incredulously. The boy laughed.

"I'm a sophomore in high school." Natsu told him. Zeref stared at him in amazement. He was talking to a high schooler! And he'd asked him if they could play! Just how much of an idiot did Zeref insist on being in one day?

"Oh…" he said quietly. "Wait… so you still come to daycare even though you're in high school?" Zeref asked in horror. Would he still be here with the babies when he was in high school?

"Oh no, I work here. My job is to keep the babies entertained, but you looked really bored over here, so I came to talk to you." Zeref blinked and wondered if he'd indirectly been called a baby. "So, what do you want to play?"

"I want to play the leave me alone game." Zeref said, glaring at the older boy. Sure, he felt like he was talking to the wisest person on Earth, but he also felt insulted. He was NOT a baby, and this boy was totally treating him like one!

"Oh, well how do you play that?" Zeref scowled. He had not thought of that.

"It's where, you go over there." Zeref pointed to the other side of the room. "And stay over there." The boy blinked.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"I am not a baby!" Zeref growled.

"I never said you were."

"It was implied."

"No, it wasn't."

"Stop talking to me like I'm some small child who has the vocabulary of a newborn!" The boy only shook his head and sighed.

"Alright then, why don't we start over. My name is Natsu Dragneel." Said the boy. "What's yours." Zeref didn't quite make this connection.

"My what?"

"Your name." Natsu said, chuckling. Zeref flushed red and crossed his arms.

"My name is Zeref Black." Zeref said haughtily. Natsu nodded with that amused expression on his face.

"Well, now that we've started over, what do you want to play?" Natsu asked, crossing his arms. Zeref glared.

"I don't want to PLAY!" He snarled. "I said I want to hang out!"

"Oh, of course." Natsu said. "Well, since we're hanging out, what do you want to do?" Zeref didn't want to admit it, but he hadn't thought about that. He didn't even really know what hang out meant… he wasn't even sure if he wanted to know.

"Um…"

"We could hang out while building stuff with blocks. Whichever structure's better wins." Natsu said. Zeref thought about this for a moment and then nodded cautiously.

"Alright." He said. Natsu smiled.

"Okay. Ready, set, go!" he cried and they both started building rather quickly. Zeref was determined to win and prove his worth to this older boy. To show him that he was someone worth hanging out with. Zeref was rather good at building castles, so he did.

"Wait a second." Zeref said after a while. "How do we know which structure's better? Aren't we biased to our own? And if there's no time limit then this could go on forever!"

"Yeah, well, we'll get a judge, and as for time limit, just build till you think you're done, or we run out of blocks." Natsu said with a shrug.

"Isn't everyone here going to be biased to you because they know you more?

"If anything, people are going to be biased to you because you're cute." Zeref growled.

"I mean… uh… never mind." Natsu said with a small laugh. "Let's just get building!" Zeref was vaguely aware that this was the very definition of playing, but he wasn't aware enough that he saw the older boy had tricked him into playing anyhow.

So, Zeref ended up playing with Natsu all day. He hated to admit it, but he'd had fun. More fun than he would've had at home. More fun than he'd had in his entire lifetime. Zeref was an only child. He'd had to entertain himself all his life. Other kids Zeref's age thought he was weird. No one wanted to play with him or talk to him. So, Zeref was left alone. He'd never realized how much fun playing with others could really be.

Natsu wasn't the only big kid there either. Zeref also met Gray, Lucy, and Erza. He liked all of them, but they were all taking care of the babies. Or at least trying to. Zeref took better care of the babies than Gray did.

Zeref and Natsu played tag and hide and seek. They played dragons and ninjas and wizards too! Zeref hated it, but he'd had so much fun he didn't even notice that his mother was in the room, watching him have fun.

"So, how was your day?" Zeref whirled around to face his mother.

"Mom… how long have you been standing there?"

"Mm, ten minutes, why?" Darn, it was too late to pretend he'd had the worst day ever. He sighed and crossed his arms.

"I guess it wasn't the worst day ever." Zeref grumbled. His mommy laughed and pulled him into a tight hug.

"You are so sweet!" she exclaimed and kissed his forehead. "Thank you Natsu, for playing with him."

"Oh no, we weren't playing. We were hanging out." Natsu corrected her. Though everyone but Zeref could tell that Natsu was being sarcastic. Zeref tugged on his mother's shirt.

"We don't have to go right now, do we?" Zeref asked. His mom patted him on the head.

"Don't you worry sweetheart. We'll be back tomorrow." She said. Zeref sighed and turned toward Natsu. He supposed his first day at daycare hadn't been so bad, even though he knew it would still be cooler to stay home…

But what if he ran into Natsu outside of daycare? Would Natsu want to talk to him, or pretend that he didn't know the kid that was way younger than him? "Come on, let's go home." Zeref's mother said, grabbing his hand. Zeref yanked his fingers out of his mother's grip and glared at her.

"I'm not a baby. You don't have to hold my hand."

"Oh yes, forgive me sir." His mother said, humoring him again. That was almost worse.

"You don't have to mock me." He grumbled. She giggled and shook her head.

"Yes, of course, now come on dear, let's go."

Zeref sighed in disappointment. He didn't really want to leave. "Bye Natsu." Zeref said. Natsu grinned and ruffled his hair.

"See ya later, kiddo. I can't wait to hang out again!" Zeref, for the first time in a long time gave him a beaming smile, turned and ran off.

"Wait for me, mommy!" he cried, running after her.

"That kid sure is a piece of work." Lucy said.

"Yeah, but he's a sweet kid. You can tell he'll go far. Especially with me as an older brother to him." Natsu said proudly. Lucy only giggled.

"Actually Natsu, I'm pretty sure he's the older brother in this." She said, before going back inside. It took Natsu a few minutes to process what she'd said.

"Wait! Lucy, you don't really mean that!" he whined and followed her back into the building.

"So, daycare wasn't as bad as you thought?" his mother asked him.

"No…" Zeref sighed, wishing he could tell her how horrible it had been.  
"So you lived happily ever after?" she asked him. He turned to her and gave a small smile.

"Yeah, the end."

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 **A/N Here we go. Another update. Thanks for reading reviews and constructive criticism welcome.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref, a merchants son has been kidnapped by the most ruthless band of pirates out there! What is he going to do?**

 **Warning: Natsu x Zeref. Don't like don't read.**

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Pirates were invading Magnolia. Zeref, a merchants son, had no idea what to do. he wasn't sure what the pirates wanted. And all he knew was that they had surrounded him. there was another building on fire, and everyone was too busy worrying about that to pay Zeref any mind. That was when they had cornered Zeref. Zeref frowned and backed up against the wall. They were surrounding him and Zeref had no idea what to do anymore. What did they want from him? Zeref backed up as far as he could until his back hit the wall. "W-what do you want from me?" Zeref asked.

"Well you're the only one that saw us." A pink-haired boy said. "Everyone else is too busy looking at the distraction that we created, but you, you've seen our faces. You know what we look like. Therefore, we can't just let you go." He explained. Zeref pressed himself even more firmly against the wall.

"You mean, you're going to kill me?" Zeref asked in fear. The boy shook his head.

"No, we are pirates not murderers." Zeref frowned.

"Then what are you going to do to me?" he said, his voice trembling slightly. The pink-haired boy didn't answer.

"Grab him." is what he said instead. Two others stepped forward. Zeref tried to back further into the wall, but he couldn't shrink down any smaller. It didn't matter anyway because they grabbed him and hauled him to his feet. Zeref opened his mouth to scream, or cry, or something. "Don't you even think about it." The pink-haired guy hissed. Well, it was too late for him not to think about it, but he supposed that he could still not do it. The boy was glowering at him, and Zeref thought that they might actually kill him. so, he shut his mouth and screwed his eyes shut, determined not to open them ever again. he felt more hands grab him and start to lead him away. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't want to know. He didn't want to know at all.

He was scared about what they were going to do to him. about what was going to happen. About what his life was going to be like. "Come on, let's go a little faster." He heard one of them say. Someone pushed him forward. Zeref's eyes flew open, he stumbled and cried out. The ground came fast and Zeref barely had enough time to throw his hands out before he hit the ground.

"Hey, don't push him!" someone cried. "How would you like it if I pushed you?" someone stumbled beside him and he heard a fight break out behind him. Zeref tried to ignore it as he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth against the smarting pain in his palm. He bit his lip and felt tears in the corners of his eyes, but he didn't let them fall. No, he was stronger than that at least. "Come on now, get up, we're almost to the ship." The pink-haired boy said and set him back on his feet.

The boy grabbed his hands and inspected them shortly. "You'll be fine." he said. "Now let's get moving." Zeref hunched his shoulders and kept moving forward, the others behind him, probably to make sure he didn't make a run for it. Zeref wouldn't. he knew he was slow, and that it would only cause him pain in the long run.

As they neared the docks Zeref made out a huge ship docked there. It was large with huge sails and red symbols on them. They were in the shape of what was known as the Fairytail mark. Zeref froze. The Fairytail pirates were the most infamous. They stole treasure, intercepted and looted ships with dozens of soldiers on them. They had many members and were known for being ruthless and cruel by all of the kingdom. Some of the most famous on the Fairytail crew were Devil Slayer, Titania, and their captain, Salamander. "Come on." The pink-haired boy said, becoming impatient.

So, Zeref stumbled on to the ship, thoroughly spooked by the entire affair. "Alright now," the pink-haired boy said, "I should probably introduce you to some of the crew. Mainly, us three. Now then, this is Erza, but you probably know her as Titania. Gray, but his title is Devil Slayer. And I'm Natsu, also known as Salamander, the captain of the Fairytail ship." Natsu explained to him. Zeref gulped. Not only had he been captured by the most infamous band of pirates out there, but he had been captured by their leader.

Natsu started nudging him along and Zeref obediently complied. He wasn't sure what they would do to him if he tried to run or didn't follow direction, but Zeref was sure that he didn't want to find out. So, Zeref allowed Natsu to guide him to wherever they were going. As it turned out, they didn't have very far to walk. Natsu took him below deck to a small cell. "We have to work out exactly how this is going to work for all of us, so until then you'll stay in here…" Natsu trailed off as he thought about what he should say next. "But hey, it could be worse, right? I mean, you could be dead." Zeref didn't respond and only went compliantly into the small chamber. He could feel Natsu's eyes on him for a minute longer, and then the boy left.

Natsu walked down the hall to his office where some of his most trusted subordinates were waiting. They had decided on the walk there that they would have a meeting to see what to do about their new addition. It was a foolish and stupid mistake to let Zeref see them. If Natsu didn't know any better, he'd say that they were getting sloppy.

When Natsu opened the door Gray, Erza, and Lucy, who hadn't gone with them, were all there where and when he'd asked them to be for once. "So, what're we going to do?" Gray asked once they were all ready to begin discussing. No one said anything right away, which led to a slightly awkward silence.

"I don't know." Natsu said quietly. That's when they all knew he was lost. Natsu never said anything quietly unless he truly didn't know what to do. they were all silent for a while.

"Hey, we're pirates, right?" Gray said finally. Natsu's eyes narrowed.

"If you're suggesting we kill him then…" Natsu trailed off.

"No, not at all. Since we're pirates we should look at this situation as a chance to get money. We could hold him for ransom. Or, we could sell him off as a slave. He's young and pretty enough, and healthy too. That's getting rarer and rarer these days, so you have to look for that in the slave department. We could get a pretty penny for him."

"I don't think we should." Erza said quietly. She was always against this whenever it was brought up considering that she was a slave once herself. She hated it with a burning passion and didn't want anyone else to have to suffer the way she had.

"Gray, you're so thoughtless sometimes." Lucy grumbled.

"It's just a suggestion." Gray defended himself. While the others were talking Natsu was, for once, thinking. What Gray said made some sense. About the getting money out of it, not the whole slave thing. Natsu thought that idea was rather stupid. Everyone knew that slaves were becoming less desired little by little. They wouldn't get much money that way. Perhaps Gray was on to something with the whole ransom thing though.

However, that would include them having to lie. After all, the whole reason they took Zeref was because he saw their faces. Natsu was hardly going to give him back after he'd been on the ship a couple of weeks. Meaning, that they would have to send the ransom note, get the money, and then leave.

Maybe, they could even sell him as a slave after they got the ransom money. That way they would get double the pay they would had they gone for only one idea. "You may actually be on to something." Natsu said after a while. They had been low on food recently. The supply they'd gotten from town would last them a few days maybe. There were a lot of people on the ship, and food was becoming scarcer as winter rolled by.

"I usually am." Gray said cockily. Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, let's send the ransom note. After we get the money from that we can go from there." Natsu said. They all agreed, and the meeting was over. Most meetings were usually short anyway.

"Oh, and your on-prison duty." Gray said. Natsu sighed.

"Fine." he grumbled. It was only after Gray left that Natsu realized HE was the captain and got to say who was on prison duty. Oh well, it was too late now. Besides Natsu didn't mind. Better him than Gray. Gray would just be mean and unnecessarily rude. He was like that when in a good mood. When he was in a bad mood… let's just say Natsu couldn't stand him when Gray was in a bad mood.

Natsu sighed and went to go talk to Mirajane about getting some food for the prisoner. Though, Natsu doubted he was hungry. "Good evening Natsu." Mira said cheerfully.

"Good evening to you too Mira. Say, me and the others were a bit too careless with our mission today and someone saw our faces." Natsu said. Mira's cheerfulness died slightly.

"Well that's not good news." She said a small frown coating her pretty features. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, anyway, we sort of had to kidnap him and now he's on board and-."

"If you need food just ask for it." Mira said handing him a tray. Natsu blinked at her.

"How did you know?" he asked incredulously. She giggled.

"Well, you don't exactly have to be a genius to figure out why you're here. You got a prisoner you're here talking to me about it. I run the kitchen here. So, the logical conclusion is that you need food for the new prisoner because Gray roped you into prison duty… again." Mira said. Natsu sighed. was it really that obvious? Natsu was often roped into prison duty. Usually there weren't actually any prisoners down there, but it still had to be cleaned and such.

"Right, I should've guessed. Anyway, thank you." He told her. that cheerful smile of hers popped back on to her face.

"Anytime." She said. Natsu nodded and said goodbye.

So, Natsu walked back down to the prison to hand Zeref his food. There were very obvious sobs echoing throughout the lower deck. That was to be expected though. Natsu himself might've reacted with tears. Natsu walked down the hall and opened the cell door. Zeref's head shot up and the sobs and quiet pleas for help stopped very abruptly. "Food?" Natsu asked him. Zeref had his face angled away so Natsu couldn't see his expression.

"I'm not hungry." He said quietly.

"I figured as much." Natsu said setting the tray down on the floor. Then he walked slightly closer to Zeref. "Hey, you'll be okay." Natsu told him. Zeref shook his head.

"No, I won't." He whispered. Natsu sighed. what was he supposed to say? Start arguing with him that yes, he would be alright?

"Why do you say that?" Natsu asked instead.

"Because I'm going to die." Zeref grumbled. Natsu pretended to look around as if trying to spot something.

"Nope, no axe-wielding maniacs here. So, I'm pretty sure your safe for now." Zeref sniffed.

"Well then… I'm going to get tortured to death instead of killed right away. Everyone knows you have your own trained torturer to torture your enemies until they beg for mercy."

"Okay, number one. Not everyone knows that because I didn't know that. Number two, you're not exactly my enemy. It was the wrong place wrong time sort of deal. And number three unless you count Erza beating all of us up all the time, we don't have a trained torturer. And unless you somehow, miraculously knock over her cake I'm pretty sure she has no reason to beat you up." Zeref frowned.

"But… what reason would she need? You're all evil."

"Probably shouldn't antagonize the guy who could torture you to death."

"But you said-!"

"I could change my mind." That shut Zeref up and he shrank back against the wall. Natsu sighed. he felt like he was sighing a lot today. Natsu came even closer and gently touched Zeref's shoulder. "Look, we don't have any plans to harm you in any way. Physically, mentally, or emotionally. So, why don't you stop being scared and talk to me like a normal person. Because you talking to me like I'm some thing of pure evil is really getting on my nerves." Natsu said. Zeref peered up at him with that look of barely subdued fear. His body trembled nervously. "Okay?" Natsu asked him. Zeref slowly nodded. Natsu almost had the urge to laugh. He was getting mixed signals. Zeref said he would stop being scared and think of him like a normal person, yet he still looked terrified. "I don't think you're going to." Natsu said. Zeref jumped.

"W-what makes you say that?"

"I've decided to listen to your body language rather than your words." Natsu told him. Natsu reached toward him and Zeref flinched and shrank back to avoid his hand. "If you don't cut that out…" Natsu growled. Zeref blinked at him.

"Then what?" he asked in a whisper. Natsu dreaded that question because he actually had no idea what he was going to do if Zeref kept refusing not to fear him. threats wouldn't work as that would be hypocrisy.

"Then I'll perform my worst torture on you." Zeref seemed to tremble more. "You asked for it." Natsu warned.

"Wait, no!" Zeref cried. Screaming first with terror and then with exultation.

"Hm… are you ticklish here?" Natsu tried.

"NO!" Zeref screamed. But his squirming and screams sort of overruled again. the screams hurt Natsu's ears, but he was determined not to give in no matter if Zeref was trying to kick him. he trapped Zeref's legs in his own. He was lying face up across Natsu's lap with Natsu's right hand restraining his arms and his free hand continuing the barrage.

"I'm not going to stop until you beg for mercy." Natsu told him. "After all, that's what we do to our enemies." Natsu said, smirking slightly. Yeah, Natsu could be a bit sadistic at times when he wanted to be.

After a while Zeref gave in because he just couldn't take any more. His voice was hoarse, and he felt exhausted. "Please, please stop!" he cried. "I-I'm b-begging you!" so, at last, Natsu slowed down until his hand rested on Zeref's stomach.

"So, have you learned your lesson?" Zeref panted and nodded as he went limp with exhaustion. "Good." Natsu said slowly releasing him. Natsu looked at his watch. It was pretty late. "You should get some sleep." Natsu said standing up. He turned to look at Zeref, but the boy already had his eyes closed. Natsu supposed he could understand that. He'd had a pretty… eventful day, after all. Natsu stared at Zeref for a while longer. He was… examining him, if you will. Gray was right. Even with the how the slave economy was low they could still get a pretty penny for this boy. Natsu gently brushed some hair out of his face. Yep, a pretty penny indeed. "Night." Natsu said and closed the cell door. Zeref did not respond.

The next morning Zeref awoke to silence. It was so quiet it was undoubtedly unsettling. Images of the night before flashed through his head making him even more uncertain. He'd heard so many stories of how pirates were vicious and were even looking to kill other innocents. But… Zeref's own experiences thus far sort of thwarted those other stories.

And as Zeref thought more and more about them he started to realize just how ludicrous they all sounded. Zeref hadn't done much research on pirates but he did know they were the thieves of the seas. And if you looked the word thief up for the meaning it would tell you they steal things and rely on stealth, not violence. It would make no sense for someone to kill another person for their valuables when they could simply steal them without needing to fight. Zeref did admit however, that pirates were gruffer then thieves and they did attack ships, so they could rob them. That made sense since it was pretty hard to steal by stealth when you had a huge ship in plain sight.

Still if Zeref really thought about it then he could see just how unlikely it was that they had their own trained torturer. After all, you didn't need a torturer to rob ships at sea, and if Zeref knew anything it was that people, no matter who they were, did not like useless things.

So, that left the question about what they were going to do with him. Zeref was not stupid. He realized that the initial friendliness was most probably just a ruse. Despite if they were going to murder him or not, they were still criminals who lied and cheated and stole. There was no room for decency in someone like that.

Zeref concluded they were either going to ransom him or sell him as a slave, or maybe both. They both brought in money and that was what pirates were all about. Although, Zeref still, begrudgingly, liked Natsu to an extent. He thought that the pirate was… different than what he had expected. The pirate was nice enough and only became unpleasant when Zeref was accusing him. and that was to be expected since Zeref often became annoyed when people started accusing him of things, regardless if they were true or not.

Natsu came back a few hours later and Zeref couldn't help that his heart rate basically doubled in beats per minute when he saw Natsu's face. He couldn't help the nervousness either, but he tried not to make his slight fear obvious. "Morning." Natsu said. "Hungry?" Zeref shook his head. Despite it being hours upon hours since he last ate the thought of food mad his stomach flip flop uncomfortably. Natsu shrugged. "Suit yourself." He said and started eating the food. Zeref sighed and leaned back against the wall. It was utterly boring in there. Zeref had nothing to do and even if he did Zeref wasn't sure if he would do it since everything felt pretty hopeless at the moment. "So, what are you feeling right now?" Natsu asked, probably to start a conversation.

"Nervous." Zeref answered him playing with his fingers nervously. Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" he asked as if he couldn't possibly imagine why Zeref might be feeling that way. Zeref sighed and glanced at Natsu. He guessed that this pink-haired boy was slightly oblivious.

"Why wouldn't I feel nervous? I'm on a large boat locked in a cell with a bunch of pirates running around and getting to decide what happens to me!" Zeref cried. Natsu blinked at him and seemed to think about it.

"I forgot that humans get a little panicky when they're not in control of their own fate."

"Humans? You speak as if you're not one of us." Zeref said suspiciously. Natsu shrugged and didn't answer him. "Why aren't you answering me?" Zeref asked.

"You didn't ask a question." Natsu reasoned. Zeref frowned and didn't say anything else. He was thinking back on what he said and realized that Natsu was right. He'd said a statement not asked a question.

"I guess I didn't." Zeref mumbled. He watched as Natsu walked toward him and fought the urge to flinch. It wasn't an unreasonable reaction, but it would probably annoy Natsu. Natsu leaned down so he was right in front of Zeref. Zeref couldn't help but shrink back from him, his heart beating harder from Natsu's closeness. Hadn't the pirate ever heard of personal space? "W-what are you doing?" Zeref stuttered growing even more nervous when Natsu didn't move away.

"You're still trembling." Natsu said. Zeref hadn't even realized. "Is it cold down here?" he asked. if Zeref actually thought about it then yes it was cold down there. But not especially.

"I-I don't know." Zeref stuttered.

"Well then, obviously it isn't that cold if you don't know." Natsu told him. "Now then, didn't I already tell you that no one here is going to hurt you?" Natsu asked him. Zeref nodded.

"You did." He said.

"Then why are you still scared."

"Well, I don't know you. And you're still a pirate. You've stolen from my home, taken me from it, and burned some of it to the ground. And you say that you don't intend to hurt me? Well, maybe you didn't intend to hurt me exclusively, but you have. And I'm scared of what you'll do next." Zeref told him.

"What do you want me to do next?" Natsu asked. Zeref blinked. What did he _want_ Natsu to do next? He didn't know. No, that wasn't quite right. He knew what he wanted, but he also knew it was never going to happen and so he probably shouldn't be foolish enough to mention it. He did anyway before he could stop himself.

"I want you to take me back home." Zeref said. Natsu's expression turned sad.

"I can't." Natsu whispered softly. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. But that's okay. I understand." Zeref told him. Natsu continued frowning.

"Okay…" he said reluctantly. Natsu was still close to his face. So close Zeref could hear Natsu breathing. He gulped and tried to lean further back.

"Um… could you, back up?" Zeref asked. Natsu shrugged and leaned back.

"I take it you're one of those humans who likes personal space?" Zeref didn't think he was _one of those humans._ He simply thought that everyone liked to have personal space. Except the pink-haired pirate anyway who obviously had no trouble if someone invaded his personal space. He seemed to like it in fact. Zeref gulped and looked away his face flushing pink. Why was he even thinking about the pirate? He should be thinking of a way to escape! "Say." Natsu's voice dragged him out of his thoughts. "How would you like me to show you around the ship?" Natsu asked. Zeref blinked at him for several seconds before realizing what Natsu had said. That was a perfect opportunity for Zeref to figure out an escape plan and get to know the ships layout. Zeref nodded.

"I would like that." He told Natsu. Natsu grinned at him obviously liking that he had made Zeref slightly happier than he was a few moments before.

"Well then stop dawdling and come on." Natsu said, taking his hand and pulling him upright. "Other people have wanted to meet you too." He wondered if they were as inadvertently scary as Natsu was. Zeref didn't have time to think about it because Natsu had already started the tour, stating the obvious that this was the prison. "But of course, you already know that." Natsu said chuckling nervously. Zeref nodded.

"I do." he told him. Natsu shrugged and started leading him to some other part of the ship. It soon became clear that the ship was as big as it looked and had many rooms. "And here is my favorite room." Natsu was saying, opening the door. "The kitchen!" he cried looking happier than Zeref had ever seen him.

"Good morning Natsu." A cheerful voice said. Natsu turned to look at a girl across the room. She was pretty and sweet looking. Zeref already felt more relaxed around her than he ever had before.

"Morning!" Natsu said equally as cheerful. "This is…" Natsu trailed off. He didn't know Zeref's name and he thought it rather rude to say the prisoner.

"Zeref." Zeref introduced himself. He'd forgotten that the pirates didn't even know his name. it was only after he'd said it that he realized it was probably unwise of him to tell the pirates his name. the woman simply smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Mirajane but everyone calls me Mira." Zeref nodded.

"It is a pretty name." he told her. that was common curtesy. Zeref was raised as a richer member of society. Richer than almost all others in his town. Except the nobles of course. They were richer than anybody. Zeref, still, was an upstanding member of his society so he had been taught proper manners.

He also thought that this cheerful girl was too sweet to be a pirate. He thought that Natsu must've also kidnapped her. it was odd since they seemed like friends. But then again, maybe he threatened her if she seemed like she felt anything but friendliness towards him. he knew that was ludicrous, as it didn't sound like Natsu at all, but one could never know when pirates were involved.

Just then, all of them heard a crash in the next room. Mira's smile slowly slid off her face. "GEORGE! THAT BETTER NOT BE YOU IN THERE STEALING EXTRA FOOD AGAIN!" Mirajane shrieked, storming into the other room.

"M-Mira I-." words were cut off by a scream. It was a male's voice for sure, yet it sounded oddly feminine. Natsu was already steering him out of the room.

"Let's go." Natsu told him. Zeref was starting to have second thoughts about how sweet Mira was though.

So, Natsu kept showing him around the place. He met Gray, who Zeref thought was rather moody and unpleasant. Lucy, who seemed like she was of a much higher class than a mere pirate. If he'd met her anywhere else, he would've thought she was a noble. Then he met Erza who had walked in when Gray and Natsu had started arguing. She was the most terrifying. Going so far as to even have her captain on his knees, apologizing. Apologizing to who he didn't think anyone but Erza knew.

"See, we're not all bad." Natsu said as they walked back down to the lower deck. Zeref supposed not. He guessed he didn't hate them anymore but that didn't mean he wanted to be here. He wanted to go home to his family. He had to get married to a merchant's daughter and take over the family business even though he wanted to do something else. "Maybe it's a good thing we caught you."

Zeref snorted. "I guess we don't have the same definition of good." Natsu shrugged.

"Listen, I'm captain because I started this whole thing. I'm the one that made Fairytail into a pirates crew because… well, because pirates are almost as awesome as dragons. Anyway, being apart of Fairytail isn't about just being poor and having a knack for stealing stuff and wanting to cause trouble. Although, we do seem to have a knack for that, that's not the point. The point is that we've all come from very different backgrounds but we all came together because we didn't have the best of times. Our pasts are sometimes way more horrible than even I could imagine. We all have hard times in our lives, and some of us don't have the power to stop them. But we do have the power to step away and start somewhere else. Now, I know that even you, no matter how hard you pretend, I know that you aren't perfectly happy where you are either."

"What are you talking about?" Zeref asked. "I mean, I don't get everything I want, but I do get food and a roof and water and all the things I need to survive."

"I'm not talking about surviving I'm talking about being happy." Natsu told him.

"I'm alive. How could I not be happy?"

"Being alive and surviving are not the same thing." Zeref gave him a blank look.

"Surviving is literally the definition of being alive."

"There's a difference between living and not dying." Natsu told him. Zeref wasn't sure there was but he nodded like he understood anyway. "So, anyway, are you feeling better?" Natsu asked. Zeref slowly nodded. He did. He didn't feel like everything was quite as hopeless as before. Natsu patted him on the back and Zeref reentered his "bedroom". He felt his heart speed up when Natsu touched him, but he pushed that light feeling in the center of his stomach, down. It had no place within him. once he found a way back to his family Zeref would marry some other rich girl. Another merchant's child. Then they would combine their business and become even more profitable than before. Then they would bear a child who would either be a son, who married another merchant's child and took over the store, or a daughter who would marry another merchants child and bear his children. These stupid feelings had no place in those plans. It was impossible.

Zeref had had his life planned out for him since the moment he was born. There was nothing else out there for him. if he was not married and did not have a business in town as successful as his father's than he was nothing. All he had to do was figure out an escape plan, escape and then everything would go back to normal.

However, if that was what was right for Zeref the why did his heart clench at the mere thought of marrying someone else. Zeref never told anyone this but as a boy he'd had dreams to study abroad and visit everywhere. Perhaps even become a painter. What he didn't tell anyone else though, was that he still had those dreams. Zeref was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice Natsu crouching down so he was eyelevel with him.

Zeref blinked and then blushed furiously. Why did Natsu insist on being in his personal space? Natsu had been close before but never this close. Zeref hated to admit it, but even yesterday when he first saw the man his heart had started racing. And it wasn't entirely from fear or even excitement. "W-what are you doing?" Zeref stuttered.

"I'm examining you." Natsu said like it was the most ordinary and obvious thing to ever be said.

"W-what do you mean by that?" Natsu rolled his eyes and cupped Zeref's chin. He felt his face gently turned to the side so Natsu could see it better. The touches left Zeref sweating and extremely nervous. And it wasn't because he thought Natsu was going to attack him either.

"So, you're a merchant's son?" Natsu asked.

"Y-yeah." Zeref stuttered. What was the point in all of this? And why was Natsu examining him? "A-are you examining me to see what you think people would pay for me?" Zeref asked. He kind of dreaded the answer. Natsu froze for a split second before resuming what he had been doing.

"Maybe." He said. "Although, I'm not sure how many people would want you anyway. I mean, you're good-looking enough, and are healthy too. But you also look like you haven't worked a day in your life."

"Thanks." Zeref grumbled but really, he was still thinking about what Natsu had said. Natsu thought he was good-looking. Zeref wasn't exactly sure why that should matter so much to him now. It had never mattered before. Zeref hated what his reactions to Natsu implied. He hated every single one of them. Zeref bit his lip when Natsu ran a thumb over his cheek, determined not to let out the contented sigh escape from him or lean in to his touch.

Zeref had never been touched in such a way. Like he would break if gripped too hard. That's why Zeref's pulse quickened when Natsu tightened his grip. Zeref gasped in surprise and quickly tried to make himself smaller, only to realize that upon Natsu's approach Zeref had shrunk back as far as he could and now there was nowhere for him to go.

Natsu noticed Zeref's confused and slightly fearful eyes on him. Natsu wished he could stop himself. Wished he could take the action back the second he did it. But he couldn't. Zeref blushed when Natsu leaned closer than ever before. Zeref could feel his heartbeat and wondered vaguely if Natsu could feel his. He hoped not because then Natsu would know that it was beating like he had just ran a marathon. Zeref noticed himself breathing heavier too. It was like his chest was constricting from anticipation and he was flushed from the heat radiating off of the pink-haired boy like an inferno.

Then Natsu inched slightly closer and their lips met. Natsu kissed him hard with the kind of burning passion that could never be replicated. Zeref wished he could say that he pushed Natsu away and fought with all his might to free himself, but that would be the biggest lie he'd ever told. Especially since Zeref applied the pressure back equal force, passion, and ferocity only a few seconds after Natsu initiated the kiss.

Zeref's heart beat so loud he felt it was about to burst. His trembling fingers clutched the back of Natsu's shirt and he tilted his head up. This lasted for a long time and when Zeref opened his eyes again they had somehow ended up on the floor. His entire body was trembling from all the nervousness and emotions swirling around inside him. this never should've happened. He should be back home trying to find a wife. But, Zeref could say with he utmost confidence that he would rather be anywhere but there. No, he'd rather be nowhere but here. And the best part about that was that he was here.

Natsu had rolled over and was now lying next to him. Natsu wasn't trembling like he was, but he was panting and sweating slightly. Zeref turned over on his side so he could face Natsu. "Natsu…" he whispered. "Can we talk?" Natsu groaned and flipped over.

"I'm guessing you're one of those humans who likes to talk after a crazy make out session?" Zeref was silent. He always found Natsu's phrases to be rather odd.

"I guess I am." He said after a pause. Natsu sighed and Zeref saw Natsu sit up and then he dragged Zeref into his lap.

"Fine, talk." Natsu said. Though he didn't really sound like he wanted to talk. Zeref leaned against Natsu's chest and asked,

"So, what was that?" Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"… Don't tell me they don't have kissing where you come from." Natsu said wearily. Zeref scowled at that.

"No, we have kissing." He said. "I just mean… why did that happen? Because what I feel for you can't be love. I just met you." Zeref said. He'd been raised to believe that you only kissed the person you loved. The person you were going to spend the rest of your life with. Anything else was… well, Zeref didn't know what it was.

"No, I don't think that's it. I think it was more of passion. I mean, what else did you expect? We're two hot teenage guys alone in a room together." Natsu said and shrugged. "That's kind of a recipe for disaster." Natsu paused for a while. "Then again, I don't think it was that much of a disaster. I mean, you're not supposed to like disaster." He added. Zeref didn't respond.

"Natsu… I don't think we should do this. I mean…" Zeref trailed off. He was about to talk about how he was going to go home and marry a rich merchant's daughter and have children and take over his father's shop. But then Zeref realized that those explanations would be fruitless. Natsu thought that Zeref would never be returning home so those explanations didn't matter. So, instead he said. "I mean you kidnapped me."

"Yeah, and?" Natsu asked.

"And you're holding me against my will." Zeref explained. That gave Natsu a little more pause.

"Well… it doesn't seem like you're unhappy here." Natsu tried. Zeref frowned.

"How do you know that? You could be deluding yourself into thinking I'm happy just because you want me to be so." Natsu's expression saddened at that.

"Maybe…" he said quietly. He wasn't so sure about that. He supposed he'd never seen Zeref smile, but you didn't have to smile to be happy, right? "But I do know, that whatever's out there, it's not nearly as good as you want to believe." Natsu said. Zeref didn't know what to say to that. He was angry yes, but only because it was true. And Natsu knew it was true too. "I think… I think you could stay with us." Natsu said. "I think you could be happy here."

"How do you know?" Zeref hated it. Hated how Natsu was being right about everything. Zeref scowled at the floor. He was painfully aware of their position too. Natsu had his arms wrapped around Zeref's body and his chin resting on Zeref's shoulder.

"I don't, so why don't I just tell you what we have to offer. There's adventure every day, we get to travel everywhere and see everything. You have friends that are more like family then any of us have ever had. And no one forces you to marry or have children or be something other than yourself. This life here is the epitome of freedom." Natsu said. "And I can tell you would love it." He whispered. Zeref would love it. Natsu had said it himself that he would get to see the world. And Zeref had wanted that ever since he was a child. Now, it was only his stupid pride getting in the way. "So, what do you say?" Natsu asked.

"I…" Zeref trailed off as he felt Natsu's arms squeeze tighter around him. "You, you aren't going to sell me then?" Zeref asked cautiously. Natsu pursed his lips together and shook his head.

"No, we're not." Natsu said. Zeref was silent staring at the ground.

"And what about sleeping in this cell. I don't like it in here." He added.

"I'd be more concerned if you did." Natsu said. "And if you came with us we'd give you a bedroom of your own… or you could sleep with me." Natsu added with a suggestive wink. "So, I could squeeze you and kiss you and comfort you when you cry."

"I do not cry." Zeref grumbled. Natsu only smirked.

"But if you did, I would be there. And it wouldn't be just me either. We'd all be there for you." Natsu told him. Zeref relaxed further in Natsu's hold. "Besides you like to be held." How did Natsu seem to know everything?

"Yes." He admitted quietly. Natsu smirked and squeezed him tighter.

"Yes, you like to be held or yes you want to stay with us?" Natsu asked. Zeref sighed.

"Um…"

"If you don't answer then I'm taking it as a yes to both." Zeref let a small smile come across his face. He didn't answer, and then Natsu kissed him.

* * *

 **A/N This is going to be the last update for awhile, sorry! I'm working on an original story as well and... well, I haven't been working on it. So, I need to focus on that! Updates will be a LOT slower and I probably won't be updating again until next week unless I'm really bored and have nothing else to do. Don't worry though, I plan on starting a new story too. It will be several chapters and it's pretty light and fluffy. Thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism are a great motivation!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref and Natsu are facing off on the battlefield. Zeref wants Natsu to kill him. Natsu refuses. Why?**

 **A/N I apologize for any mistakes. Also, Warning: No character death but still a kind of... sad, ending. One of those endings where you don't cry, but it still leaves you feeling more down than usual.**

"Why do you refuse? It's a very simple task. Need I make you despise me even more?"

"No. it's not that I don't despise you enough it's that I don't despise you at all." Natsu said to him. Zeref narrowed his eyes,

"I will keep destroying all the things you hold dear until you crumble and kill me in a blind rage." Zeref growled.

"You might do just that. I don't doubt that that's what you will do. but you'll never be able to destroy all that's dear to me. Even if you completely destroy Fairytail and kill the rest of my family. It doesn't matter. This isn't about you Zeref, it's about me. I won't stoop to your level, ever. I won't kill you or anyone else. No matter if you kill me or my friends. I do not care. I don't care! So, deal with it."

"I think you'll change your mind when I make you listen to their screams." Zeref said darkly.

"I think you'll change your mind when I burn you to ashes." Natsu growled, clenching his fists.

"That probably won't kill me."  
"I know but you can still feel pain, and I'll make sure that getting burned alive is the worst experience you have had or will ever have." Natsu said. "Or, you can stop, and we can fix this."  
"You cannot fix what is broken. Think of it like trying to glue a glass vase once it's shattered. You may succeed in gluing all the pieces together, but it will be oddly misshaped, and it will be more fragile then it was before, and you can see the cracks. It will never be the same again."  
"That's… okay." Natsu said. "It shows what we've been through. It shows that the vase…" Natsu paused. Zeref could tell he found it odd to talk like this. Zeref didn't find it strange at all, to use similes to talk about his life. he supposed that came with being over 400 years old. "…is still strong enough to survive. People will respect that."

"No, they won't. it's like looking at a butterfly with one wing missing. People don't think of how strong it was to survive that. They aren't impressed. They pity the butterfly because soon the other wing will be ripped off and then it will die."

"… I guess so." Natsu said quietly. What else could he say? Zeref was right. He himself would look at the butterfly with the same pity as anyone else.

"But you're not broken. Just bent a little."  
"Natsu, you refuse to see the reality of the situation." Zeref looked at the floor. Natsu gave him a sad smile and took a few small steps closer. If he could just get close. Then he could apprehend Zeref.

"No, you don't. the reality is we can help you and you refuse to take it!" Natsu cried, taking another few steps forward. He reached behind him sneakily.

"Natsu, do you really think I don't notice what you're trying to do?" Zeref asked.

"Uh…" Natsu was silent for several moments. "It's better this way. I might not be able to kill you, but no one said anything about knocking you unconscious." Natsu then, quick as lightening, rushed him, raised his elbow, and knocked him in the head. Zeref cried out and stumbled backward. Natsu gave another hit, this time his fist aflame.

"Stop it!"  
"We're here to help you, but most of all we're here too make sure you never hurt anyone else ever again!" Natsu said with a look of determination. He barely hesitated before snapping Zeref's wrists behind his back and dealing him another kick to the head

"So that's how it's going to be. You kick me while I'm down. That's our relationship." Zeref shook his head disappointedly.

"Shut up!" Natsu snarl "You deserve this and more."

"The other wing's been ripped off." Natsu just stared at him, unsure of what he was talking about. "The broken vase just shattered again. and this time, the glass shards are too tiny to put back together. If you try, you'll get cut." Zeref said, his face dejected.

"I said… I said shut up." Natsu mumbled, but the anger was gone. He kicked Zeref again, but it was harder to do now. It felt less like kicking the evilest wizard on earth and more like kicking a whimpering child. Impossible. "Would you stop giving me that look."

"What look?"

"The look of a puppy that's just been kicked."  
"I may not be a puppy, but I have just been kicked." Zeref said with mildly amused features. Natsu sighed.

"Well I wouldn't have to keep kicking you if you'd just fall unconscious." Natsu grumbled.

"It's too bad I'm too powerful to be knocked unconscious." Natsu glared at him.

"And it's too bad I'm such a nice guy. Otherwise, I would keep kicking you."

"What happened to helping me."  
"I am helping you, this is for your own good." Natsu said firmly. Zeref scoffed.

"Is it for my own good or is it for the good of the world?" Zeref asked him. Natsu did not answer for a while.

"It's for the good of both you and the world." Natsu said after an unbearably long pause.

"But mostly for the good of the world? Am I right?" Zeref asked with a slight smirk.

"I thought I told you to shut up. And why wouldn't it be? After all the world isn't as cruel as you are?" Natsu spat.

"That's where your wrong little brother. This world bears my soul, does it not? It bears my wrongs, and it bears many others." Zeref smirked. "It is crueler than you could ever imagine. And I have seen its faults for century after century after century." Zeref said quietly. "I am almost thankful, that you are still pure enough to think the world is good." Natsu knelt beside him.

"You lie!"

"So, what if I do? It would only be one more lie to the billions that have been told throughout the history of this world. Think of it this way, brother. There have been millions of lies. I'm just one more liar. There have been thousands of black wizards. I'm just one more black wizard. There have been hundreds of heartbroken people. I'm just one more heart that has been broken. There have been billions and billions of murderers. I'm just one more. You are far less important than this world has led you to believe. At another point in time there was another Natsu. He died. Nobody remembers him. you will die as well. And soon nobody will remember." He could see Natsu growing angrier with each word he said.

"What about you, do you remember?" Zeref laughed at the prospect.

"If you're asking what I think you are, then no. I don't remember their names. They have been forgotten. There have been billions that I have murdered over the years. I don't remember a single name but one. She's the only name besides my own and yours that I remember from the past. I don't even remember our parents names." Natsu looked vaguely interested.

"Who was she? The girl you remember."

"She was the only one who could even somewhat relate to what I've been through. She was beautiful and kind. She understood. I loved her… so I killed her."

"What was her name?" Zeref was silent.

"Mavis." He said finally. "Her name was Mavis."

"You loved her… so you remember her? Why did you love her so much?"

"She was the only one who would lay by my side. She didn't want me for my power or my title. She wanted me because she loved who I was. not the black wizard. She hated him. she loved Zeref. Me. She loved me. And I'll always love her for that."

"I see." They didn't say anything to each other for a while.

"But I was wrong." Zeref said after a while. "I suppose I can't blame her. she was young. Hundreds of years younger than me. She didn't know the desperation of needing to be loved yet… she didn't understand as well as I thought she did. It was infatuation. I get that, we hadn't known each other for very long. I should've known better than to love her. I really should've. Because in a forbidden love you always get hurt. It's inevitable. I should've thought about that… it's too late now." Natsu was silent. They didn't speak for another few minutes. Natsu was too busy contemplating what he had just heard. Zeref had loved someone and he had accidentally killed her. how would Natsu feel if he had accidentally killed Lucy? Natsu concluded that he would feel awful. So awful he wouldn't be able to keep on living. He would want to die.

"How can you live with yourself? After all you've done?" Natsu asked in a haze."  
"I can't. my soul's already gone. This is just a body. That's why I ask you to kill me." Zeref said. Natsu stared at him. "If you killed me you wouldn't be a monster. You would be saving the world. You would be saving me." Natsu shook his head. Zeref's eyes hardened. "If you won't kill me then release me." Zeref demanded. "Let me go so I can find some other means to destroy myself."

"NO!" Natsu cried. Zeref frowned.

"Natsu, do you love me?" Natsu was silent, hesitating.

"Yes. I think so."

"If you love me. Then you'll let me go." Zeref said quietly.

"If I love you, I'll hold on to you for as long as I can." Natsu countered immediately.

"I see, then you leave me no choice." Zeref said quietly. That's when Natsu noticed that Zeref's chains, which had originally bonded his wrists together were nowhere to be seen. Everything clicked in his brain just a second too late, as he was pinned to the floor with what Natsu assumed was gravity magic. It was crushing him. Natsu screamed, he felt as if his insides were being crushed. He looked to Zeref who had crimson eyes, staring at him without a shred of mercy. He let out another shriek as he was pushed further into the concrete. He was being smushed and Natsu could do nothing about it. Tears started forming in the corners of his eyes. He couldn't help it. He wasn't ready to die yet.

Abruptly the gravitational pull ceased. Natsu let out a strained breath of air and panted. He had felt his lungs being crushed. He hadn't been able to breathe. Black dots clouded his vision. Zeref came over and kneeled beside him. he smiled softly, encouragingly. Natsu felt Zeref's loving fingertips brush his cheeks. The touch was so comforting Natsu found himself leaning into it. After all, he'd needed to be strong for such a long time. Everyone was counting on him. so there was a certain relief that came with at last being vulnerable. Despite the fact Zeref was supposed to be his enemy. Natsu let himself fall slowly into the darkness. He felt his broken body being lifted gently and held with such care Natsu felt the need to cry. And as he looked up, Natsu Dragneel's last thought as Natsu Dragneel was, "Zeref has such a kind smile." And then there was dark.

When the boy awoke he knew nothing but dark. He felt chains on his wrists. He didn't know where, or when, or even who he was. the boy felt empty and scared. He cried. It seemed that was the only appropriate thing to do.

He didn't know how long he was in there, but the only time the boy knew there was still a world outside of where he was, was when a tray of food was pushed through the door. The worst part was that he didn't know if the food tasted good or bad. He'd only ever tasted this food. At least, that's all he remembered. Whenever he wasn't eating he was crying. Who knew what kind of world he lived in.

Weeks maybe months must've passed before he saw another human face. It was a boy. He didn't know if the boy was his age or not. He didn't know his age, he didn't know what he looked like. He didn't feel old, but maybe he didn't feel old because he had no recollection of what it felt like to be young. The boy seemed kind, he had a friendly smile and beckoned him forward. Cautiously the boy walked over to him. he felt like crying again. this guy didn't seem like he would hurt him, but the boy didn't remember anything, he could be about to die for all he knew. "Come closer." The boy said. He did as he was told, unsure of the penalty if he didn't.

"Who are you?" he asked, hating the scared stutter.

"My name is Zeref Dragneel. I am your elder brother. Come Natsu, there's no need to be frightened. I would never intentionally hurt you."

"Is that my name?" the boy known as Zeref raised an eyebrow. "Natsu, is that my name?"

"Yes dear brother. That is most definitely your name. now come, I have much to show you." Natsu followed him like a lost puppy and much to his embarrassment, practically clung to his new-found brother. He could be lying but Natsu honestly didn't care. He was the first human face Natsu remembered ever seeing. "I'm sorry that you were kept in the dark for so long, but last time I saw you we were, sadly pitted against each other."

"Truly?"

"Yes. But it's okay now my brother. It seems you do not remember what we were fighting about in the first place." Natsu frowned.

"What was my old life like? I can't remember." Natsu said leaning against Zeref. He felt a hand stroke his hair and felt Zeref's eyes on him. when Natsu's orbs flickered up he saw Zeref smile a small smile. "And what's this?" Natsu asked, noticing a red mark on his shoulder. "Is this part of my old life. I can't remember." Zeref finally opened his mouth to speak. His voice was calm and collected. His smile had turned sad. Zeref slightly regretted pulling Natsu away and lying to him about practically everything. Natsu committed his next words to heart. Maybe because his voice was soft and soothing, but Natsu wasn't sure. What he was sure of was that he'd never forget the words.

"Now, if it was truly anything important then you never would've forgotten in the first place."

 **A/N Okay so, I know I said I wasn't updating until next week, but, I'm soooo bored. I'm on vacation (awesome right?) but right now, all I'm doing is hanging out, so nothing to do. Anyway, thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism is DEEPLY appreciated.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N IMPORTANT!**

 **First of all, the credit for this amazing idea goes to Gammagyro. Thank you so much for your support, your idea, and I hope this story isn't too horrible and that you enjoy it.**

 **Second, This is Navis (Natsu x Mavis) however it's my first time writing this ship so please don't judge too harshly.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Mavis is a detective, investigating the death of her husband, Zeref Dragneel, with her partner, long time friend, and Zeref's brother, Natsu. Only, now Natsu's been kidnapped by the dreaded Bloodman, the scum who murdered her husband. Now, her only hope to save her friend is to bend to Bloodman's orders and meet him. She thinks that he must want to kill her but instead he asks her to... play a game of chess? Just what's going on here, who's Bloodman, and why does he have against her and the Dragneel brothers?**

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Mavis Vermillion. That was her name now, wasn't it? After all, she was no longer a Dragneel. Because her husband was dead. Mavis wished she could be anyone else in the world right now. If only it would stop this feeling in the pit of her stomach.

 _Zeref Dragneel_

Her husband. That was him, yet, it wasn't him. For, he was dead. They had buried his ashes two weeks ago. He had been dead for two weeks, and she would still call out to him. "Honey, can you please pick up your shoes?" And she would still wait. There would be no answer. She would wonder why he was ignoring her, and then she would see the wedding ring. On the table. And the memories would come flooding back.

He had been dead for two weeks. She hadn't had the nerve to step inside their bedroom. Not once. Her heart ached for him. She NEEDED him back. She loved him with all her heart. She HAD loved him with all her heart. Now, he wouldn't be back.

She would give her arm and her leg just to hear his voice one last time.

She kept telling herself that maybe things would've been different if she had done something different. What if she had insisted that he not go to work at three in the morning? What if they had not called him to catch that serial killer? What if she kissed him one last time. What if he had ignored the phone call? All these what-ifs were tearing her apart. If only she had done things just a little differently. Would he still be with her?

She sat down on her couch, her lips trembling. There she went, thinking about him again. She really shouldn't. Not when he was dead, not when she was alive.

The only way NOT to think about him was to immerse herself into endless hours of work. Not just any work either. But the work of finding the man who killed her husband. She had never thought she could hate anyone with such a passion. But she despised the man who murdered him with her very soul.

She wasn't the only one either. There was one other who wouldn't rest until they found his killer. Natsu Dragneel. She knew the man blamed himself for her husband's death. She knew he did, because she blamed herself. Natsu was supposed to come over. He was supposed to help her work on the case. So far, the case was a bust. They only knew one thing. That the killer's name, was Bloodman. That wasn't much to go on either. It was the killer's alias. Not his real name. They had no leads. Her husband's killer was free to go about as he pleased. The thought made her shiver.

She sat there, for hours on that couch, waiting. She knew he really should be here by now. Natsu had never been late before. He was just as invested in this case as she was, just as addicted. Bloodman had murdered his brother after all.

After another hour Mavis got up and started pacing. Where could Natsu be? What was going on, where was he? She was getting worried. She didn't want Natsu to die. They had been working together for only two weeks, but they had known each other for years. Ever since Mavis met Zeref she had met Natsu.

And she knew that if she hadn't loved Zeref from the moment she saw him, she might've had feelings for Natsu. He was sweet, funny, and kind. But, there had been Zeref. He wasn't any of those things. In fact, he was always rather cold and could seem kind of mean. But Mavis knew Zeref had a good heart, and he had warm eyes. And there had been that gentleness she had never seen in Natsu.

"Stop thinking about him!" she growled to herself. "He's dead. You're alive. Please…" she begged staring at the ground. She could feel the tears coming. "Stop."

She almost wanted to forget how much she'd loved him. Because she loved him so much it had torn her apart when he died.

Now, Natsu was late and she couldn't stop herself from worrying. What if Bloodman got him too? Her paranoia had tripled ever since her husband's death. She was weary of every stranger, saw the evil glint in everyone's eyes. She always knew someone was out to get her.

So, when she heard the doorbell ring she jumped up from her position. Her breath hitched as she raced toward the door and threw it open. "Natsu!" she breathed, except, there was no one at the door. Absolutely no one. But then, who had rung the doorbell? She had no idea.

Then, her gaze drifted downward to see a note, right on her doorstep. Mavis frowned and slowly bent down to pick it up. That paranoia was settling in again. Was it the killer? And as she read it, her eyes widened in horror. The note read,

 _My dearest Mavis Vermillion,_

 _Did you like my last way of gaining your attention? I thought it was very fun, his scream was a pretty thing._

 _Now, meet me at the Fairytail pub house, come alone, and do so at midnight tonight. If I find you have disobeyed me, or show up late, I promise you that your husband won't be the only Dragneel to have died by my hands._

 _-Bloodman_

Mavis had to read the note over several times for everything to click in her head. She felt extreme disgust and anger. How dare he! How dare he talk about her husband like he wasn't a human being, but a toy for his own amusements. She felt like gagging when she read the part about her husband not being the only Dragneel to die. Her mind instantly went to Natsu. He hadn't shown up tonight. He had promised he was coming tonight. Natsu never broke his promises.

Mavis peered over at the clock, it was already 11. She had only an hour to get to the pub. She had only an hour to prepare. She had only an hour to save Natsu's life. She needed a strategy. This thought sent her reeling. She didn't want to remember, but she did.

 _I need a strategy. This one, he's a whole lot tougher than the rest. It was the annual chess tournament at our school. I always entered. I always won. But this was different. His black eyes glimmered with amusement, his mouth quirked upwards in the tiniest of smiles. I was so busy staring at my opponent that I didn't realize it was my turn until he said it was._

 _Blushing, I turned to the chess board and stared at each piece in concentration. Hundreds of outcomes were rolling through my mind, but not many of them were in my favor. He had backed me into a corner. I needed a strategy._

 _I had more pieces than he did. However, I had lost my queen. I understood the meaning of sacrifice, but only a fool would sacrifice the most powerful piece on the chessboard. I knew from the moment I lost her that my chances had gone down by a lot and I cursed myself for being so incompetent. Why couldn't I think straight? Well, besides the fact that this boy was smarter than anyone else I had come across. That was more than a little distracting, however that wasn't what was tripping me up. It was the small smile that rested on his face that gave me goosebumps. That little smile and those big black eyes that looked like they held the answers to the universe. "Checkmate." I said, looking down. I hadn't even realized I was still playing, too deep in thought to pay too close attention. I had become so used to the motions that I hadn't even realized I was winning. The boy sighed and that small smirk of his grew a little wider._

 _"_ _Good job, I haven't had anyone beat me before."_

 _"_ _Well, neither have I." I told him. Those black eyes twinkled with mirth and before I could stop myself the words tumbled out of my mouth without my consent. "What's your name?" I asked. The boy licked his bottom lip and I flushed red. I shouldn't even be paying attention to his mouth. So, I forced my eyes back up to his, even though those felt like they were stripping away any intelligence I once had._

 _"_ _Zeref." He responded. "My name is Zeref Dragneel."_

Mavis yanked herself out of the memory. Even though only five minutes had passed, it had felt like her life had just flashed before her eyes. She swallowed and walked out the front door. How had she beat Zeref? She hadn't had a solid strategy at all. She was just going through the motions. That felt like all she did now. Now, she felt like the only joy in her life came from spending time with Natsu. Even then, she wasn't sure if the joy came from being with Natsu himself, or if it was only because she could think about slamming the scum that murdered her husband in a cell for the rest of his miserable life.

"No plan, no information, and only the gun at your hip." She swallowed. "Yeah, everything's going to be just fine.

Then, she got in her car and started toward the pub.

When she arrived she started to assess her surroundings. There were several people in the pub. The smell of alcohol assaulted her, and she grimaced as she walked further into the meeting place. Mavis wasn't sure what exactly she was looking for, but thankfully, she didn't have to look anywhere. Almost immediately after she stepped into the pub a tall man walked toward her.

He had spiked yellow hair and crazed red eyes. She took a few steps back, weary of his approach. "Are you Mavis Vermillion." Mavis swallowed and nodded.

"I am." Her voice sounded more confident than she would've thought in this situation. The man smirked devilishly his eyes sharpening in a way that Mavis found both repulsive and terrifying.

"Then follow me." He said. She didn't want to. Every impulse in her body told her not to follow him. But she had no choice. She couldn't lose Natsu too. The only one who loved Zeref as much as she did. So, despite her better judgement she followed him deeper into the pub.

They left out the backdoor and she followed him down the alley toward where she hoped Natsu was. "I brought her to you." The yellow-haired man said.

Mavis watched, terrified as a dark clad figure stepped out of the shadows. She hadn't even noticed him. That thought made her shutter. "So, you did come." He said almost like he doubted she would come at all. Mavis gulped and clenched her fists. Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure they could all hear it.

This was the guy, Bloodman. The one who had murdered her husband. She had known she hated him, but the strong urge to grab the gun at her hip and shoot him was a much stronger impulse than what she was comfortable with.

She was honest with herself, no matter how many lies she told to anyone else. That's why she allowed herself to accept the fact that she could shoot this man and not feel the least bit guilty about it. Those thoughts made her nervous and scared, but she felt them. She felt them in her gut, and she knew she couldn't deny them.

She had loved Zeref. This man had killed him. He had broken her heart. When Zeref died she had lost a piece of herself. She had known him since high school. She had married him when she was only 18 and she had stayed with him for over 2 decades.

She would've been married to him until she was as old as eighty. She would've died with him, she would've adopted children at some point, as she was unable to have them herself. She would've been happy and content for the rest of her life. Until this man had come along and killed not just her husband, but the happiness of all her plans.

He had killed the love of her life. And when he had died a piece of her died too. And now, she was determined to fill the hole that he had ripped in her life. And if the only way to do that was to kill him, then she would happily do so.

It made her feel like an awful person, but for once she didn't care. She knew that killing was wrong, but she didn't care. She knew she was better than this, but she didn't care.

She had imagined saying so many things to him, but the only words that tumbled out of her mouth were, "You killed my husband." Only four words but saying them left her breathless. The man chuckled. This filled her with even more anger. How dare he? She told him that he had killed her husband and his only reaction was to laugh. Her heart clenched, and her wide eyes hardened. The tears had almost slipped, but she refused to cry anymore. "Where's Natsu?" she growled. Maybe they had already killed him. That thought made her stomach churn.

"Natsu? Who is that?"

"Don't play dumb." She knew he knew. There was no way he couldn't. Her husband had always been an intelligent man, there was no way just anyone could kill him. Either that, or his brute strength must've been incredible.

Mavis gulped and glared up at him. It took every ounce of strength in her not to shoot him. She had to know if Natsu was well. She had to know, and she couldn't make her move until he made his. The man smirked.

"So, how about we play a game of chess?" the man asked, smirking. The little smirk that made her freeze. The smirk that gave her goosebumps. She narrowed her eyes.

"A game… of chess?" she asked. The man leaned forward so that he was bent over her.

"Why yes, you are good at that, aren't you?" Mavis hesitated wondering what his angle was.

"I… yes, I am. What are the stakes."

"The stakes… hm, how about that friend of yours. If you win I'll give him back and both of you can go on your merry way. If I win, however, I get to kill you both." He said. Her breath caught in her throat. Those were very high stakes. She gulped.

This was what she thrived for though, she was invincible. She would not lose. "I accept your terms." She said. His smirk widened ever so slightly and he motioned her forward.

"Then come, play with me." He said. She followed him into a sketchy building with cracks in the ceiling and walls. A room completely cement.

But it wasn't the décor that caught her attention, but the person in the center, tied to a post and gagged. "Natsu." She gasped. Overall, he seemed unharmed, no cuts or bruises which honestly surprised her. She thought she would come here to find him gravely injured or worse… she didn't even want to think about that.

Next to Natsu was a chess table, all the pieces set up. They were fine pieces too, it was an expensive set. Slowly, she sat across from the man, staring him in the face. He was cloaked with a mask and there was clearly something altering his voice. She couldn't even begin to guess who was under those clothes.

"You may go first. You are the white pieces after all." He said. Mavis nodded and moved one of her pawns. Before the game even began she started predicting his movements.

As they played Mavis was beginning to understand that this was no average player. He was very strategical, and calculated as smoothly as she did, making the game very slow. Mavis could feel herself start to sweat from exhaustion and her eyes narrowed in concentration.

But all the while her opponent remained poker faced, with that cool, steady smirk. It never faltered once, despite the fact that she was winning. She knew it, he was good but there were cracks in his strategy that she exploited. She lost herself to the feeling of sweat and the joy from such a hard game. It had been a long time since someone had been able to challenge her and almost win.

 _Not since him._

She hadn't even noticed that she backed him into a corner until she said, "Checkmate." The man sighed, looking exhilarated.

"That was unexpected." He said. She smirked slightly.

"What?" she growled. "Have you never had anyone beat you before?" she could tell his eyes must be shining with amusement because he barely contained a chuckle.

"Not quite, I've only been beaten once before." he said. Hmph, the player must've been pretty good.

"Alright, whatever." She grumbled, standing. Her muscles were tense, she honestly didn't expect him to let her and Natsu go. Not without a fight. But he stepped back.

"I am a man of my word. You and your friend may go. You will never see me again." he said, backing up. She whipped out her gun and pointed it at him.

She shot, but he was quick, nimble and easily dodged bullet after bullet. "Stay still!" she growled. This time he did laugh.

"I can't do that now, otherwise you'd hit me." She had to admit that no person would stand still when being shot at, but he still must repent for killing her husband. As he disappeared out the door and into the darkness of the alley, she saw his smirk one last time. For an instant she saw Zeref's smiling features flicker through her mind.

 _Zeref?_

Then, she shook her head. Stupid brain, making up stupid things. She turned around and walked back into the building. She was angry. How could she not have gotten him?

 _"_ _You will never see me again."_

She had to see him again. She had to put a bullet between his eyes. Mavis sighed and dropped to her knees, quickly untying Natsu. She could see her friend starting to come to. She at least had Natsu. Natsu who had been with her throughout the tragedy of her husband's death. "Mmm." He groaned, his eyes fluttering open. Mavis felt her heart skip a beat at that. She was so filled with relief and joy. "Wh-what happened?" he asked.

"Natsu!" she cried and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing. She didn't know what she'd do if she lost him too. After a minute or two she felt Natsu's arms wrap around her too.

"Hey, sorry if I scared you. They caught me off guard." Mavis shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm just so happy you're alive. I'm never letting you out of my sight again!" she sobbed. Natsu smiled softly and hugged her tighter.

"Hey, it's okay, you're never going to lose me."

"Please don't say that." She whispered. She knew for a fact she could lose him right now. She knew everything could be taken in an instant. However, she was willing to believe that it wouldn't, if Natsu was. "I love you." She said. She loved him because he was with her. She loved him because he had always been with her. She loved him because he understood. And she loved him because only he had loved Zeref as much as she did. No one would ever be able to understand. No one would ever be able to love him as much as they did. No else. Just Natsu and her. Just them. That's why she loved him.

"I love you too." And she knew Natsu loved her for the exact same reasons. Finally, they pulled back, Mavis, feeling better and more alive than she had in weeks. Natsu smiled at her. It wasn't Zeref's smile in the slightest. Natsu's smile was big and open and expressive. Zeref's had been small and controlled, but kind all the same.

Mavis felt her heart melt slightly at his smile. She knew she cared about Natsu right now more than anyone else in the world.

At that moment Natsu's smile turned sheepish. "So, I know I've just been kidnapped and all but… would you want to go with me for a cup of coffee." Mavis's grin widened. She hated coffee.

"Yes."

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 **A/N So... yeah, I'm sorry if some of your were hoping for a kiss, but it just didn't fit, and I wasn't comfortable with it so it would've sucked. Now, some of you might be going, WHAT? WHO'S BLOODMAN? TELL US RIGHT NOW! Sorry, I won't. There are some pretty huge and obvious hints that it's Zeref, but I'm going to let you decide for yourself if it is or if it's simply a coincidence. Bloodman here is just an alias, he is not who he is in he show I decided, so he could be anyone. I will tell you this however, I did delete a scene. I really wanted to just tell you who it was, but If figure it's more fun to leave it to you. You guys seriously have no idea how much I wrestled with deleting the scene and telling you who Bloodman was.**

 **This idea concept of Mavis being a detective hunting down Bloodman and Navis was given to me by Gammagyro. If you have requests I will take them and do them as long as it includes Zeref and is rated T or below. To contact me you can either review or pm (private message) me. If you want I will give you credit for your ideas or if you don't care, that's okay too.**

 **Thank you everyone for reading, reviews, constructive criticism, and ideas welcome and appreciated! :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: The top ten things Zeref despises and why he despises them.**

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Zeref despised… everything. He didn't even know why, but he just hated it. What was IT though? Everything. IT was everything. There were a few things, however, that Zeref despised even more than everything else.

This was the list of everything he hated His top tens list.

10\. Grief.

9\. Hope.

8\. Sweets.

7\. Greed.

6\. Humans.

5\. Rain.

4\. Blood.

3\. Family.

2\. Love.

1\. Life.

Everything. He hated everything. Everything that mattered, anyway. But who was he to decide what did and did not matter? Zeref was sure that he was nobody. Nobody got to decide what mattered to anybody else, but if humans thought anything mattered it was probably those ten things. Well, most of them anyway.

Now, this was his list for why he hated his top ten most hated things.

10\. Grief, he hated grief because it was all consuming. It was much like rage except instead of feeling the fire of anger there was nothing but the large empty hole of regret. And unlike rage, where everything was okay again, once you calmed. When grief was gone all that was left was the empty shell of what used to be someone worth saving.

9\. Hope. Hope left room for nothing else, when really, there should be thousands of things that you should be feeling. Hope was a sickening feeling, because when it was gone then nothing was worth anything. He had felt hope once before, but it had shattered with his humanity, many centuries ago.

8\. Sweets. There was nothing terrible about them, and sure, even someone who disliked them would take joy in having one every once in a while. But, when Zeref tried it felt like he was eating rocks. Dirt-filled, hard, and empty, leaving only bitterness.

7\. Greed. Greed was what caused so many human problems. More money, more food, more technology. Over and over, the cycle repeated, and people were hurt. But it wasn't humans getting hurt that enraged him. It was the fact that they couldn't see the very obvious cycle of take, take, take, and never giving a shred back. It was humans like those that didn't deserve any mercy.

6\. Humans. Humanity was almost as bad as greed. What was humanity anyway? It was simply something to call the race of parasites. However, it was used to set limits and boundaries. And when people overstepped those limits set by society they were called inhuman, monsters. But what does being human truly mean? In Zeref's opinion humans were just another type of monster, ready to snap and destroy at any given moment.

5\. Rain. The rain reminded Zeref too much of tears. When it rained he knew the sky was crying. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. Just like the sky couldn't stop the feelings of nothing swirling inside him.

4\. Blood. Blood was an ugly, ugly thing. And Zeref was loathed to it. It wasn't necessarily the blood itself that he despised, but more of the feelings and reasons behind why it was spilled. Hatred. Blood was spilled in cold blood, and that was just another reason why humans deserved no mercy. They were human, yet they acted like monsters. He'd seen the best in humanity and he'd seen the worst. Unfortunately, he believed that the worst far outweighed the best. That was why he was determined to create balance.

3\. Family. Family had done nothing for him. He didn't even remember his parent's names. Family was a tool designed to hurt those that lost them. Zeref had never recovered from such a loss. He blamed his feelings for his family for his misfortune. It was trivial, childish, because he knew it was his own fault. Still, Zeref knew he had to have something to blame.

2\. Love. What was love anyway? Zeref was beginning to understand that he was forgetting. His love was twisted beyond repair. Nothing could fix him, nothing could help him. Because every time he loved he killed, and his soul couldn't bear that. So, he didn't love, and he still killed. And every time a new life was taken Zeref's heart would clench and his mind would scream, and he couldn't deny what was burning inside him any longer. But it was useless anyway. He didn't know what love truly was anymore. Because love shouldn't make you want to die, right?

1\. Life. His existence, problems that originated from that. He hated life with his very soul. Or whatever was left of one. Zeref was dead, and yet he wasn't. What was life? Because even though he breathed, his heart beat, and his blood flowed, Zeref felt so numb all the time, so cold.

"You are alive." He whispered to himself. "No." he reminded himself. "You are not alive. You are a dead man walking." And that was all he ever would be.

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 **A/N Okay, favorite Fairytail ships here we go, (keep in my mind that these are not listed in any particular order... Nalu, Gale, Gruvia, Jerza, Zervis, Rowen, Miraxus. (those are my favorite basic ships) These are crack ships. (Miraxus could be counted as a crack as could Rowen, but I don't care) Gratsu, Zerlu, Gray x Zeref, Gray x Ultear, Lucy x Sting, Navis (new), and Natsu x Zeref (sometimes)**

 **Yeah, this is just my opinion. Sorry that I don't ship Gralu or Grayza. I guess Graylu might've worked out, but Grayza… I just think that Erza and Gray have a brother-sister relationship. If you read into it differently then that's okay too. These are just my opinions. Anyway, Super sorry for any mistakes, thanks for reading and please-**

 ***Zeref walks in room***

 **Me: How... what's going on?**

 **Zeref: Are you writing fanfictions and wasting everyone's time with your long author's notes again?**

 **Me: … No?**

 ***Zeref sighs* Zeref: You're coming with me.**

 **Me: Wait! I have to tell my readers to review and give constructive criticism! So please, lovely readers, do that because Zeref wants you to.**

 **Zeref: No I don't. I find it sickening you don't have anything better to do than this.**

 **Me: … You're mean.**

 **Zeref: Thank you. Now come with me.**

 ***Zeref drags poor author kicking and screaming to hell.* (AKA, Fairytail Guild Hall.) :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N Guess who's a sneaky Ninja?... I'll give you a hint, it starts with M and rhymes with knee... come on guys, you got this... no one? Alright, it's me! I'm the sneaky ninja and successfully escaped hell without Zeref noticing. Why didn't he notice?**

 **Me: *gives evil chuckle* let's just say I totally didn't knock over Erza's cake and framed him for it... you guys here the sarcasm right?**

 **Zeref: AHHHHHHHH!**

 **Erza: How dare you destroy my cake!**

 **Me: Oops, I guess my secrets out.**

 **Zeref: I will destroy you!**

 **Me: If you live long enough.**

 ***Zeref, turns around and sees Erza with eyes to make the devil himself shake in fear.* Zeref: AHHHHH!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: It's October 31st, Halloween, and Natsu and Zeref are celebrating it together for the first time ever. They are coming closer together than ever before but on June 21st... Zeref gone and messed up!**

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"Zeref seriously? You're going as a vampire? That's like, the most traditional costume out there!" Natsu exclaimed. Zeref shrugged.

"I don't really care. What's wrong with traditional anyway?" Natsu scowled.

"Nothing! It's just that everyone will cringe when they see how unoriginal and uninspired it is. You'd probably get more reactions if you dressed up as Zeref." Natsu said dryly.

"Well it's not dressing up if you go as yourself!" Zeref cried. "I'm wearing this costume and there's nothing you can do to stop me." Zeref said, crossing his arms. Zeref had been living with Natsu for the past few months. The two had wanted to get to know each other after Zeref's curse was lifted. They had even gone on a trip, just the two of them for an entire month. They were taking this thing pretty seriously.

Now it was October 31st and Fairytail was throwing a Halloween party. Natsu had said that they didn't have to go because he knew how much Zeref hated crowds. It wasn't his fault, but centuries of solitude and isolation would do that to you. However, much to Natsu's surprise Zeref had insisted that they go to that stupid party. And that's why they were arguing about whether or not Zeref should go as a vampire. Well… Natsu was arguing about whether Zeref should go as a vampire. Zeref obviously wanted nothing to do with it and had made up his mind before Natsu had even started talking. Natsu unfortunately learned the hard way that former immortals are more stubborn than a three-legged mule on a 100-degree summer day at noon. Natsu scowled and crossed his arms. "You're never going to change your mind, are you?"

"Nope."

"No matter how much I beg."

"Nope." Natsu let out a growl of frustration.

"Fine!" he said hotly. "Be a stupid vampire if you're so desperate to go as one!" Natsu crossed his scaly arms. Yes, Natsu was going as a red dragon named Igneel.

"I most certainly will." Zeref said calmly. It was like he didn't even realize that Natsu was furious. Natsu rolled his eyes and stomped out the door, Zeref following at a safe distance behind.

When they got to the party Natsu left Zeref to his own devices and went to go complain to Lucy about his unwillingness to cooperate. Zeref watched as Natsu walked off, shrugged and went to go talk to Mavis.

In the middle of a party Zeref had a panic attack and Natsu had to drag him home. "Ugh… I probably looked stupid… I looked stupid, didn't I?" Zeref cried. Natsu shrugged and looked straight ahead. "Do you think I looked stupid?"

"I think you looked like a crazed vampire about to kill everyone if they didn't give you some space immediately." Natsu said flatly.

"REALLY?" Zeref wailed and looked even more depressed then he had originally.

"No."

"Real-."

"You looked worse." Natsu said before Zeref could form a coherent sentence. Zeref sighed and dropped back into his depressed black wizard mode. "I told you that you shouldn't go as a vampire. It would've been less creepy if you went as a zombie or something." Zeref scowled and crossed is arms.

"What do you have against vampirism anyway?" Zeref asked. Natsu pouted and crossed his arms.

"None of your business." He said. Zeref rolled his eyes. Natsu glanced at him and then patted him on the back. "No worries though. You'll never have to see any of them again." Zeref frowned.

"How come?" he asked.

"Huh? Why do you want to see them again?" Natsu asked.

"It's time I make friends in this new era." Zeref said. Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Why would you need friends when you have me?" Natsu cried and glared. "I'm your friend. You have a panic attack when you're near anybody else! You don't need new friends! You have me!" Zeref blinked, struck into silence by Natsu's outburst. Suddenly Zeref smirked, finally understanding what Natsu was so mad about.

"Are you mad because you're jealous?" he asked. Natsu growled and tried to deny it. "About what though?"

"Exactly! I'm not jealous!" Natsu cried. "There's nothing for me to be jealous about."

"Oh, I think I know." Natsu scowled.

"Well you think you know everything! But you don't! you don't know what I'm jealous about!... if I was jealous… which I'm not!" Natsu cried.

"You're jealous that once I have friends that I won't spend time with you anymore!" Natsu flushed bright red.

"That is not it! That is not it at all!" he cried. Zeref chuckled and pulled Natsu into a bear hug.

"Aw… my baby brother is the cutest. Who's the cutest? You are! You are!"

"Zeref…" Natsu whined as he was smothered in affection. "I… can't… breathe!" he wheezed. Zeref eased his grip slightly but still held on abnormally tight.

"It's okay baby brother. I shall always make time for you." Zeref said, ruffling Natsu's pink hair. Natsu scowled and marched off.

"Yeah, whatever." But inside he was secretly happy and Zeref knew it.

One year passed and October 31st came again. however, this time the two brothers did not spend it together. They were "estranged" you could say. This came into an effect on June 21st, Natsu's 19th birthday. Zeref had forgotten it.

 _"_ _You forgot! How could you forget!" Natsu screamed._

 _"_ _I'm sorry! It was my hundredth-year anniversary with Mavis! Birthdays happen every year. A hundredth-year anniversary happens once. You'll just have another birthday next year! I'll attend that one." Natsu clenched his fists._

 _"_ _But you only turn nineteen once! Just like a hundredth-year anniversary only comes once!" Zeref pinched the bridge of his nose. He gave a tired sigh like this was a huge chore._

 _"_ _Natsu, this is trivial. Let's not fight about it any longer." Natsu's eyes flashed unbelievable hurt._

 _"_ _Trivial?" he whispered._

 _"_ _Oh, Natsu. I didn't mean it that way." Zeref said, frowning._

 _"_ _Then why did you say it that way!" Natsu screamed._

 _"_ _The words just came out. I'm sorry Natsu, I wasn't thinking. What I meant was that we shouldn't be arguing when we can still celebrate your birthday! You're right. I was being rude. You only turn nineteen once. So, let's make it special!"_

 _"_ _I don't feel like celebrating." Natsu grumbled. No one else had remembered either. Then again, Natsu didn't go announcing that it was his birthday. But it still hurt. He had been counting on his brother to remember. If his brother had said something about it things would've been alright. But this morning Zeref had acted like it was any other day. At first Natsu thought he might be planning a surprise or something but that was obviously not the case since Natsu was now telling Zeref it was his birthday today. He knew Zeref's birthday. He'd never forgotten. Even when he and Lucy had an anniversary. Natsu made time for his brother. Zeref had said he'd make time for Natsu. He had lied. "Just leave me alone." Natsu whimpered, hurt and tired._

 _"_ _Oh, Natsu." Zeref said it in this sad tone that Natsu hated. The time for sadness had passed. Zeref made a move to grab his hand. Natsu glared and jerked it away._

 _"_ _Don't touch me!" he seethed. "I'll talk to you when I'm ready." If he was ready. Natsu, at the moment, didn't feel like talking to Zeref ever again. he knew it was childish, but he didn't care. He didn't care even a little bit. He marched back to his house and locked the door. He vowed he wouldn't let Zeref in that night until he had his brother begging for it. And indeed, around midnight Zeref's reasonable voice had gone out the window. When reasoning with Natsu hadn't work Zeref had tried yelling and then insults and then back to reasoning and then to bribing and then the cycle circled back. Finally, his brother was merely begging him to open the door. How he was sorry, and he made excuses too._

 _"_ _Come on Natsu. Please let me in. it's cold out here. I'm sorry. I'm begging you, please! I was a complete jerk, I should've remembered and should've celebrated. I'm a brat and an idiot… oh please just let me in." Zeref said, not sure whether his pleas were heard or not. Or if Natsu would even care if he did hear them. Zeref heard as shink above his head. Zeref tilted his head to look upward. Natsu's coal eyes stared through the hole in the door._

 _"_ _And?"_

 _"_ _An inconsiderate slime."_

 _"_ _And?"_

 _"_ _And a horrible human being."_

 _"_ _And?"_

 _"_ _And…" Zeref paused. "A depressed, jerky, moody black wizard?" he asked more than said. Natsu paused and he heard a click and Natsu opened the door._

 _"_ _I'm still mad at you. I want you to go back to your kingdom for a while and not visit. But you can stay here tonight. I'm not heartless or mad enough to send you back home at midnight." Natsu said._

 _"_ _Thanks, I guess." Zeref said. "You don't hate me, right?" Natsu shook his head. Zeref let out a sigh of relief and then pulled his brother into a huge bear hug again. "You are so adorable!" he cried. "Yes, you are! Oh, yes you are!"_

 _"_ _Again… can't…. breathe!" Natsu said. And again, Zeref loosened his grip slightly._

 _"_ _I'm sorry."_

 _"_ _I know."_

And they hadn't seen each other since Zeref went back to Alverez June 22, the second day of summer. Now Zeref was coming back for the holiday. Zeref had always had a love for Halloween. It was his specialty, scaring random strangers and even people he knew. And now he could do it without some poor soul calling the police! Zeref had been reluctant to go to Fairytail's annual Halloween party, but Mavis had invited him. and before he'd had that panic attack, he'd had so much fun! He was nervous since he knew Natsu was going to be there. Unless he wasn't. unless he didn't come because he knew Zeref was going to be there. Zeref shivered at that thought.

When he got to the Halloween party Zeref tried to act as natural as he could without seeming like he was searching for something. Or in this case, someone.

Finally, he spotted him. Natsu. Zeref gulped it had been months since Zeref had last seen him. on the outside Natsu didn't look any different. Zeref just hope he didn't act any different as well. Zeref cleared his throat, gathered up all his courage and walked toward Natsu.

He was inches away from Natsu and he was breathing heavy. He stood there for a while, arm outstretched ready to tap Natsu on the shoulder. "Are you going to talk to me or just stand there like a creep?" Natsu asked without turning around. Zeref squeaked and jumped back. Natsu laughed. "Still as hilarious and awkward as ever I see. Come here big bro." Natsu said, smashing Zeref's face into his chest. Probably a move he'd learned from Erza. The buzz around them seemed to disappear, like it was just the two of them. Zeref's rapid breathing didn't decrease. Here was Natsu, right in front of him, and Zeref couldn't do anything. He didn't know what to say. "It's good to see you." Natsu said softly, as if encouraging him to speak. Zeref gulped and looked up at Natsu. He didn't look scary right then but maybe in just a few seconds Natsu would scowl and tell him to leave. "Still see you have that stupid vampire costume." Natsu said, trying to strike up a conversation.

"Yeah." Zeref said dumbly. Natsu snorted and glanced at him.

"It's okay you know." Zeref frowned. "I'm not angry anymore. I've moved passed that."

"R-really?" Zeref stuttered, not sure whether to believe him, or to think it was too good to be true.

Natsu nodded. Zeref let out a sigh of relief and relaxed in Natsu's hold. "It's good to see you." He said again.

"You too." Zeref said. Natsu didn't seem to mind how Zeref's answers were shorter than they usually were. In fact, Natsu seemed to like it.

"So, how about we cut all the apologizing and stuff and go dance with our respective girlfriends." Zeref nodded.

"Yeah." He said. So, Natsu smiled at him and waved before going to find Lucy. Zeref stood there for another minute his hand raised dumbly in the air before he went to go find Mavis.

"How was it?" she asked.

"I think we're good." Zeref said, smiling slightly. She gave him a thumbs up. "So, milady, may I have this dance?" he asked with a smirk. She giggled.

"You may."

After the party Zeref left, exhausted. All that socializing had worn him out. He didn't think he'd be going to another party for a while. As he was walking back to the hotel he saw a familiar head of pink hair. He was just up ahead. Zeref bit his lip, wondering if he should say hi and then decided that Natsu probably already knew he was here. Him and his stupid dragon slayer nose. Natsu, was of course, dressed like a red dragon named Igneel again.

Zeref ran to catch up with him. "Hey." He said quietly once he had managed to catch up. Natsu grinned at him.

"Hey, brother. How're you doing?"

"G-good I guess." Zeref said. So, they walked side-by-side in the moonlight. "I'm sorry." Zeref whispered. Natsu sighed.

"You already apologized, and I acknowledged it. So, it's alright. I'm okay. We're good."

"Are you sure. What happened was unacceptable on my part." Zeref said.

"I was being ornery too. I locked you out of the house and made you beg to come in remember?" Zeref nodded and grimaced.

"Yes, yes I do." he said.

"So, see? I'm just as much of a jerk as you are." He said, frowning. "So, let's just forgive each other, yes?" Zeref nodded.

"Yes, it's just as they say, forgive and forget." Natsu still smiled but he shook his head.

"Forgive, but never forget." He whispered. Zeref blinked and sighed. he supposed Natsu was right.

"Can I stay with you?" Zeref asked. he knew he had a hotel room he could sleep in, but he'd rather sleep at Natsu's house. Natsu hesitated and then nodded.

"Sure, why not." Zeref smiled.

After that both of them were silent. There wasn't anything else to say. But in those moments of silence, Natsu did wrap an arm around Zeref's shoulder in the dark. And that was the story of how the dragon and the vampire walked home one night.

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 **A/N This is your Halloween Special. Thanks for reading everybody and-**

 **Zeref: There you are! You will pay *looks at poor author with blood red eyes.***

 **Me: AHHHH, please review and give constructive criticism, Happy Halloween, AHHHHHH!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N This is a rough estimate of when Zeref was born and when he died. Sorry! Also, I'm alive!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref remembers a day long ago, and reflects on how things are so much different then they were back then, and yet somehow still the same.**

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Year: X377

It was Tuesday, in the middle of April, and Zeref was, for lack of a better word, studying. The word researching would be incorrect because he wasn't looking at anything in particular, he was merely scrolling through thousands of sights and clicking on one that seemed interesting. Zeref thought that perhaps he should be truly studying. After all, tomorrow was Wednesday, and they had a big math test that would affect their grades enormously. Zeref didn't mean for it to sound cocky, but he knew very well that he would get 100%.

Sighing he pushed away from his desk and rubbed his eyes. The computer clock said it was past midnight. He should definitely get to bed otherwise he would be too tired to get up in the morning. He closed his eyes, resting his cheek on the palm of his hand. The glare of the screen had been bright and Zeref felt the need to cringe when he looked at it again. the hard pounding of rain and thunder sounded outside. If he was really lucky the power would go out. Then he'd have to go to bed without any distractions. A flash of light lit up the night sky for an instant before falling back into complete darkness. At that moment the lights flickered off and his computer. Zeref sighed and stared blankly at the black screen for several moments. A small creak behind him made Zeref jump. He whirled around in his chair. Large onyx eyes stared back at him, salmon hair sticking up around his head. Natsu sniffed, "Zeref, the big noises are scary!" he cried. Zeref felt his heart rate slow. It was only Natsu.

"Natsu, don't scare me like that." Zeref scolded lightly, not really angry.

"I'm sorry, but-." Natsu was cut off by a loud boom. A shrill scream escaped Natsu and the 5-year-old leapt into his arms. "There's loud noises and lights, and what are they."

"That's just thunder and lightening. They may seem scary, but they can't hurt you while you're in your bed." Zeref whispered quietly.

"But how are you supposed to sleep if they keep on yelling!" Natsu cried. Zeref paused for a few moments.

"You just have to deal with them. I can't make them stop."  
"Please don't make me go back to my room. It's dark in there! My light went out all of a sudden and I don't know why!"

"That's normal, my computer and lights went out too. The people will fix the lights tomorrow. We just have to get through the night and everything will be better in the morning." Natsu gave a choked sob when another loud BOOM and CRASH resounded throughout the room. Zeref shifted Natsu into a better position and patted his back. "You'll be okay. It's just noises."

"But they're scary!" Natsu sobbed, clinging to him. the thunder struck again causing Natsu wrap his arms around Zeref's neck and squeeze rather tightly. Natsu buried his face in Zeref's shoulder. "Can I please sleep with you tonight!" Natsu cried. Zeref was apprehensive.

"Natsu… you know my bed can barely fit you and I anymore. You're getting rather big…" Zeref had prepared a speech about how he had a test and needed really good sleep. But the speech died on his tongue as Natsu looked at him with those big soulful puppy-dog eyes, glazed over with tears. Instead of the speech he replied, "Oh, alright." He said with a rather large sigh to let Natsu know he had agreed reluctantly. A huge smile crossed Natsu's face and he bounded into Zeref's bed. Zeref slid in too and wrapped his arms around the little boy. Natsu's footy-pajama legs snaked around Zeref's slowly, as if because he went slow Zeref wouldn't notice. Zeref didn't mind either. Natsu wrapped his arms around Zeref's middle, cried out when there was a loud crash of thunder and promptly started snoring. Zeref stayed awake for a while longer, stroking Natsu's one of a kind pink hair. "I love you, Natsu." Zeref whispered and kissed Natsu's forehead before letting the thunder and lightening do it's worse, knowing it didn't matter because he was here with his little brother. Slowly he closed his eyes and let the all-consuming darkness take him into the depths of that is known as sleep.

Year: X801

Now it was nearly 400 years later that the same boy opened his eyes. Again, it was pouring buckets, lightening and thunder crashed and boomed off on the horizon. His face was wet from tears as well as the rain. A dream perhaps? No, more like a memory. A very distant one. For so much had changed since the day Natsu had curled up beside him in the dead of night. For instance, neither boy was a boy anymore. Nor did they love each other so unconditionally. Neither was innocent any longer. No, now one stood, the other fallen. Natsu, slowly kneeled beside his fallen brother. Zeref ready to fall into the darkness of sleep for good. Zeref had nothing left to do in this world. His little brother was a man now. He could take care of himself. He didn't need a night light, he didn't need Zeref to comfort him from the raging storm… he didn't need Zeref. So much had changed. Slowly, the shaking hand of his older brother reached toward him and took the steady hand of the other. Zeref took a deep breath. Natsu's smile was still wide and perfect yet tinged with a sadness that had never been there before. he still liked to cuddle and be around other people. Zeref opened his mouth his tone laced with an all-consuming grief. "I love you." He whispered. His hand went limp and his eyes closed letting the eternal sleep come. Even though he was dead he still loved Natsu. He loved him now, he would love him billions of years later. Time was funny that way. Hmph, maybe things hadn't changed so much after all.

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 **So, you were probably all worried about me, weren't you...… No? Okay, well, I survived and that's why I'm updating. Right now, I have a poll going and you can find it on my profile page. I'm going to update a new story because face it, oneshots get tiring after a while. I'm not abandoning this story, but I will probably only update it when I'm out of ideas or just plain bored. I have four ideas for this new story that I'm updating and the poll is your chance to tell me which of them you like better. Here are the choices,**

 **1\. Alverez war has ended, Zeref's curse has been lifted, and now he's standing on trial for all his crimes (Genre's for this would be humor and romance. Rating would be T.)**

 **2\. Zeref is the Demon lord of hell and Mavis is the Angel empress of heaven. They are bitter enemies and will not rest until the other is dead. All of their friends and family think they hate each other simply because of the ancient war between Demons and Angels. But both Zeref and Mavis know that their hatred for the other runs much deeper. (Genres, for this are angst, and romance. Rating, T)**

 **3\. Natsu and Zeref are everyday brothers who have one big secret. They both helped murder a person and are living with the psychological trauma of commiting such an act. Together they're on the run, enemies of the world. Now, they only have each other. Unfortunately for the both of them, they can't stand each other. Will they be able to overcome their differences and move forward together? (Genre's, hurt/comfort and family. Rating T)**

 **4\. Before the Alverez war Zeref comes to Fairytail, looking for Natsu. Fairytail, of course, refuses to tell him where Natsu is. Zeref, angry decides to go find Natsu himself. When he does both Zeref and Natsu start to fight, even if Zeref claims that's not why he's here. Natsu wins and decides to take Zeref along for the ride in going back to Fairytail. Leaving him there would cause more problems than it soved. Only, what's Natsu supposed to do with the evilest wizard on Earthland laying next to him as he sleeps and at night? (Genre's humor and family. Rating, T)**

 **Keep in mind that I will do all of these ideas, so no one be disappointed if I don't choose the story you voted for, or were secretly hoping that I would do. I just want to know which one you think I should do first. So, with that said, please vote now!**

 ***Zeref walks in room* Zeref: There you are.**

 **Me: Ah... Please don't kill me!**

 **Zeref: I'm not here to kill you, I'm here to support you. I think it's great that you want to write more stories about me. Even if you are totally useless and generally boring.**

 **Me: Awwww, that was really sweet... until the end.**

 **Zeref: Please vote so that the author can write more stories about my pain and misery!**

 **Me: I forgot how pessimistic you were.**

 **Zeref: And proud of it!**

 **Thanks for reading, please vote, reviews and constructive criticism appreciated. Also, I apologize for the long author's note!**

 **Zeref: Wait a minute, why am I even talking to you, or better, how are you even here?**

 **Me: -_- you're the one who's a fictional character!**

 **Zeref: You're supposed to be dead.**

 **Me: ... *Author runs away before Zeref can figure out why I'm still alive and how he should try to kill me next.***


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: What it means to be Zeref Dragneel**

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The man looked at the other man with a look of confidence. Anyone would look confident if they had just won a battle with the evilest man ever, Zeref on the other hand looked tired and ready to commit another futile attempt at suicide. "Ha! You see that? I won!" Natsu said with a look of triumph.

"Yeah, I guess you did." Zeref said tiredly. Zeref looked up at the other man and managed an,

"I'm so sorry," He choked out with a strangled sob. The question was, what wasn't he sorry for? "I'm sorry for wrecking your life." Zeref said Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Can I please hold your hand?" Zeref asked, dreading the answer. "I can't say what I need to say if you don't." Natsu was hesitant but slowly let the other man's fingers curl around his own. Zeref held the hand to his chest and looked up into the other man's eyes. "I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for hurting your friends and for ruining your life. I'm sorry for being born, and most of all for being selfish!" If only Zeref hadn't been so selfish. For bringing his brother back because of his own selfish loneliness. "I'm sorry for bringing you back as a monster… but I couldn't let you be robbed of the right to live. I get you must hate me but we're family!"

"We're not family." Natsu's words brought unimaginable pain to Zeref's heart. He felt as if he were being ripped apart from the inside out. "We may be related but we are not family." Natsu said firmly. Zeref supposed he was right. After all, he didn't know Natsu at all. Zeref remembered little Natsu. The younger brother he had adored so much. He adored his younger brother. He had always loved his brother. He loved him more than he loved himself. That's why he gave up everything for him. he gave up everything because he remembered holding his tiny body in his arms. And he remembered how Natsu had smiled delightedly up at him for the first time. He remembered the tuft of pink hair on the top of his head, and how his laugh had rung out like a bell of pure joy. Zeref remembered everything clearly from the moment he saw Natsu's face for the first time until he held his lifeless body with his chest still, and his face pale. After that, everything was a haze. Because nothing mattered anymore. Zeref had wanted things to matter. That's why he revived him. to say they weren't family was like ripping his heart out and crushing it in front of him. Zeref felt his eyes water and he wiped his tears away. He cleared his throat and began to speak slowly.

"You're right. I don't know you. And if I don't know you then how can we be family? I knew the little boy I revived… I wish I'd had more time to be with that little boy. And I wish I knew the man he became… the man I never got the chance to meet. Because you're not little Natsu. Your salamander of Fairytail… and he made a life without me. I'm not in your memory. You don't even know me. I'm not a memory or even a figment of your life… I'm the past. And the past is just that. A place where you never go in the same way you did ever again… as they say, you never see the same water in a river twice. It's okay that I'm the past… I'm used to being worthless." Zeref said with glassy eyes. He tried to blink more tears away.

"You're not worthless!" Natsu shouted, squeezing Zeref's hand tightly. just then Zeref saw Natsu looking behind him at someone. It was obvious that he wasn't paying attention to Zeref anymore. a blonde girl was behind him. Zeref thought her name was Lucy. Zeref laid back on the floor and cried softly. Lucy grinned at them, her eyes big and cheerful.

"Natsu, you defeated him!" She exclaimed happily.

"Sure did!" Natsu said. Lucy looked over at Zeref's form and asked,

"Is he okay?" Natsu shrugged and asked Zeref that same question.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Zeref did not respond and only continued his half-hearted sobs. Natsu looked somewhat concerned but shrugged it off and turned back to Lucy. He kissed her shyly, blushing furiously. Lucy smiled slightly at him.

"No one wants to see that." Mavis said with a sly grin, walking up behind them. However, the couple wasn't paying attention to her. they merely left laughing and talking. Zeref slowly got up feeling forgotten and made his way through the wreckage. Zeref didn't know when it had happened. When he became dead inside. Mavis walked up behind him. She gave him a sympathetic smile and put her hand on his arm. "He'll come around." Mavis said. Zeref shook his head and turned to face her.

"No, he won't. He'll never see me as a brother. To him I will always be the villain who hurt his friends and ruined his life. Never the loving brother that saved it. To him I will always be the monster that has no soul. Never the brother that sold it to the devil to see his warming smile one last time… and that's okay. I will not interfere or meddle… I will simply be. I am the past he will never know or understand or ever want to remember. I am not a shadow… I do not exist in his present at all, because I am the past." For the first time a small, sad smile broke across his features. He looked her straight in the eye and said, "I don't need to be anything but the past. The past does not change or meddle but waits with silent hope that it will be remembered. And so, I will do that as well. I will wait patiently and hope… hope that one day I might be lucky enough to be a distant memory… that is what it means to be Zeref Dragneel." And with that he turned, slipping into the darkness. Just like a memory that had been forgotten.

* * *

 **A/N I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while, but right now I'm getting a new story for you guys written. I plan to post the first chapter... some time in the near future, see what you guys think. I'm just working out a few kinks, making sure everything makes some semblance of sense, and actually finishing up the story. My hopes for it are that it be over 40,000 words, but it will end when it ends. Sorry for the short chapter, but if you guys are interested. This chapter here was actually the start of the Dragneel Brothers. I planned on it being a oneshot that I wrote late at night on my little screen... then I did it here, on my computer, and now I'm posting it for you. Anyway, I planned on this being a oneshot thing, and it was for a long time, but then, I got a burst of inspiration and did like... well, over 22. Now then, you probably won't see me updating until Thanksgiving where I have a special for you. ;). Thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism appreciated. Sorry for any errors and sorry if this isn't the best oneshot. It was 1 A.M and I was typing like I was texting, which is one of the stupidest things I've ever done, and I was trying to get it over 1,000 words... yeah, and for those of you who are like, "Hey, where's Zeref in this one?" Well, he'd love to be here, but right now he's fighting the black dragon. Don't worry, he's okay... for now (evil chuckle). Anyway, he'll get back to you all soon, bye!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Mavis and Zeref work out there differences and agree on a way to defeat Zeref. Unfortunately, Zeref's got his fingers crossed and has other plans for the world.**

 **Warning: "Character Death" I put quotations because no characters actually die, but they lose their humanity.**

* * *

"This isn't a game, Mavis." Zeref whispered, staring at her. She didn't say anything, merely stared at him. This wasn't the Zeref she remembered. This wasn't the Zeref she loved. The man she fell in love with would've never been so horribly cruel to anyone. Much less the people he cared about. Sure, he could be terribly grief-stricken at times, but not like this, never like this. And though she knew this, she still kept her hand out-stretched. Perhaps he wasn't like she remembered. But she had changed in the past hundred years as well.

"I know this isn't a game, Zeref. But, if you would just listen-." He cut off her soft-spoken words,

"I don't think you really know anything. You're not even here, you're not alive! You're a ghost, and just because I'm talking to you, doesn't mean I can't choose to ignore your presence. In all honesty, it should be rather easy. I can't even hear you!" he raged. Taking one of the vases in his tent he threw it in her direction. Of course, it passed through her without hurting in the slightest, but she still believed throwing things at people, ghost or not, was wrong.

"Zeref!" she cried. "Stop acting like a child having a temper tantrum and see the reality of the situation. You've lost! There's no point in continuing this war. There's no need for you to keep killing innocent people!"

"I am NOT acting like a child!" he screamed.

"THEN PROVE IT AND STOP SCREAMING!"

"I'M ONLY SCREAMING BECAUSE YOU ARE!" Mavis growled in frustration.

"You are impossible!" she gave a cry of frustration and whirled on him. "Look, just because I am a ghost does not mean I can't tell you EXACTLY what I think of you!" he crossed his arms and settled on her with that infuriated gaze of deep crimson blood. However, unlike most she didn't cower from the gaze. In fact, she held it with her own dark look.

"And what exactly do you think of me?"

"I think you're a selfish brat!" she screamed. He raised an eyebrow. "You're a murderer. A despicable human being, if you can even be called that! Why can't you be nice for once! Why do you always wear black? Happy things are nice, colors are nice! But you can't do that because you aren't nice! You're a monster! It's no wonder your family died! No wonder I died! We all died because we couldn't stand being around you!" the room was dead quiet after her outburst. And the way his eyes flashed let her know she'd gone too far. Although, even if they hadn't she still would've known. A gasp escaped her, and she clapped her hands over her mouth. Oh, why couldn't she have more of a filter? "Zeref I… I'm so, so sorry." She whispered.

"Then why are you here?"

"What?" she asked, confused.

"If you're so desperate to be rid of me, then WHY ARE YOU HERE?" He growled. She was silent. "You didn't have to say those things to me Mavis. I already know. I know I'm a monster."

"No, Zeref, I was wrong. you didn't choose to… to murder people."

"I knew the consequences of getting cursed, and I didn't care. I'm a villain, plain and simple. I'm not someone who can simply walk off the path of darkness. I don't want your pity I don't want anyone else's. I chose this path. I chose to sell my humanity. I chose to become this. No one forced me to bring him back. I made that decision on my own. I chose this, I made the decision to become the evilest wizard on earth. I chose to make demons, and I chose to discard them to let them do as they pleased when I realized they couldn't help me. I decided to become this. It's my fault. All of this…" he gestured to everything. "Is my fault."

"No." she said. "Not all of this is your fault. Zeref you can't take the blame for everything, you know this. I know this. You're just…" she trailed off.

"Just what? Misunderstood? Don't make me laugh." He said, scoffing. Mavis frowned.

"Please stop Zeref."

"This is the life I chose for me, Mavis. No one else ordered me to do anything. I'm the black wizard. I don't stop for anybody. Especially not little girls." Zeref said, turning away from her.

"Number 1 I'm not a little girl. Number 2 I'm not just a little girl. Number 3 I'm the woman that you love."

"Loved."

"That's what I said, love." Zeref chuckled softly.

"I suppose I did miss your stubbornness." Mavis smiled.

"Did you now? Just my stubbornness."

"No… I missed. I missed you." Mavis curled her hands into fists. How she really, really wanted to kiss him right now.

"Come here, please. Can I just, just hug you now?"

"How could you, you're a ghost." Mavis pouted.

"So, what? That doesn't change the fact that I still love you." Zeref made a surprised expression. A shy smile crossed his face.

"You… you still love me? Even though I just threw a vase at you?" she giggled.

"At least it was only one object this time. I know I'm infuriating and you hate it that feel you can't get properly mad because you know I'm laughing at you. But don't take your wrath out on the poor trees."

"… you were laughing at me?" Zeref asked. Mavis gave him a small smirk.

"Of course, I was." she giggled.

"I wish… I wish I could've heard it.

"Heard it?"

"Your laugh means the world to me. Even if everything was terrible, you were there. I may have… possibly actually liked our conversations. But just a little. I mean… even if I was having the worst day you were there… heaven knows I cried a lot."

"You cry?"

"I do, almost every day. Except on the days you would talk to me… then I'd be too angry to cry. And being angry was one of the best feelings I've had. You know more then anyone, that I'd like to be happy. But you also know that isn't possible. Being angry was the next best thing for me. The anger was something other than the large hole of blackness. Thank you for making me angry on the days that otherwise, wouldn't have been worth living for."

"Well… your welcome, I guess. Glad to know my ability to infuriate you was useful. Now, surrender. You know you should. I know you should. Plus, I have a surprise for you."

"Mavis, you know I hate surprises." Zeref said, scowling. She giggled.

"I know, that's why I've made it a surprise."  
"You know, I take back all the nice things I said to you."

"Too late, no backsies." She giggled. Zeref still scowled.

"What kind of surprise is it." She sighed.

"Fine, I'll tell you. We've found a way to make me come back to life." she said, smiling. "And… it includes how to make you die."

"What?" Zeref asked, incredulously.

"That is, if you want. The spell we want to use means we have to take a life to give one. I'd feel guilty if it was anyone but you." Zeref's scowl deepened. "Not in the way you're thinking I assure you. It's not because I don't care about you, I just thought that maybe… I wouldn't feel so guilty taking your life because you've told me again and again that you want to die. I thought you would be happy to know that, but… I'm not forcing you. No one with a heart and a soul would force you." Mavis said quickly, trying to make him understand.

"I see."

"It would include you surrendering though. No one wants you… able to attack us at any moment you know."

"Yes, I know." Zeref said, glaring. His features softened after a few minutes. "Alright, let's try it. I'll surrender."

"Yes!" Mavis cheered. "I would kiss you right now, but well…" she trailed off. Her face turned sadder. "You know, a life without you wouldn't be the same."

"Good, maybe you'll experience a fraction of the guilt I felt when you… when you left me."

"Oh Zeref, I didn't leave you. I'm right, here aren't I?"  
"Yes, I suppose you are." He said quietly.

After getting into the guild hall and sitting in across from each other, Mavis started the spell. She stared straight into his eyes. "This spell only works if the person willingly gives up their life with no regrets." Zeref nodded.

"Alright." Mavis knew this was a risky move, bringing Zeref into their base. She could never understand exactly what was going through his mind. And now she never would. She took a deep breath and started chanting but was interrupted.

"What's going on out there?" Mavis asked, walking over to the window. What she saw could only be described as an extermination. She turned back around. "Zeref what-." She stopped midway. Zeref was gone. Mavis growled. This was all a setup. "It figures." She growled and stomped down to the basement. "ZEREF!" She screamed. He turned to her with a victorious smirk on his face.

"What is it? My dear Mavis."

"You tricked me! You… I can't believe you would use me as… as another one of your pawns!"

"And just why wouldn't I? this is war Mavis. I saw an opportunity to win, and I took it."

"You… aren't the Zeref I loved, are you?"

"Oh, you speak in past tense now, my dear? How unfortunate."

"This is madness Zeref, you have to stop." He took a few steps toward her.

"I know it's madness, and I don't have to do anything. You're at my mercy. You shouldn't be telling me what to do." Zeref said, with that steady smirk that made her want to scream and throw the nearest object. While she couldn't interact with humans, inanimate objects were a different story. She growled, turned to the washbowl that was used to clean the crystal, picked up the bowl and threw it at his head. He side-stepped and she screamed in frustration. Next, she picked up the wet cloth ran up to him, and as quick as she could, smacked him across the face with it.

"That was for lying to me." She smacked the other side of his face next. "That was for making me love you!" she started smacking the cloth everywhere, not caring where it hit. "For breaking my heart, for hurting my guild, for hurting the world, killing people, and for merely existing. Oh. I wish you'd just die! I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you!" she shrieked hitting again and again before collapsing where she stood and sobbing. Zeref merely clucked his tongue.

"Now who's acting like a child?"

"You're a wicked, wicked monster." She screamed. Zeref shook his head and went to the crystal. It held her body. Her body, her magic, was going to be used to destroy the world. And she'd let it happen by trusting her enemy. She hated him. she hated him so much. She hated him because she understood why. When hope was lost to a person, they did many horrible things.

"Nothing matters anymore." Zeref told her sadly. "In fact, when you think about it. Nothing ever truly mattered in the first place."

She sniffed and glowered up at him. "I loathe you." She snarled. He smirked.

"Good. I'm glad I have no one left to disappoint. Everything becomes far to difficult when it involves people who care about you. It's better this way, and you know it too Mavis. I think you secretly knew something was going to happen, that I was going to betray you." Mavis shook her head.

"No, Zeref." She said quietly. "I truly thought I could trust you. And even if I couldn't. I thought I could trust your overwhelming desire to die." Zeref chuckled.

"No, why die when I could make the world suffer as I did? Doesn't that sound much more exciting?"

"No, it doesn't. there were people in this world who cared about you Zeref. And you pushed them away."

"That's where you're wrong Mavis." He said quietly. "In this world no one has truly loved me for centuries. No, not even you. It's okay though. I understand no one will love me. I've accepted it."

"No, you haven't. no one could ever except that no one loves them. Not even someone as horrible as you." Mavis snarled. Her face slowly softened as she looked into her former lover's eyes. "It's sad, the fact you think no one cares. It's sad."  
"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I truly don't care." Zeref said. He touched the crystal and gently rubbed the tips of his fingers along the surface. "I haven't cared about anything in a long time." He whispered. "It's sad. the fact that after all this time you can't understand me. You've had 100 years. And you still can't tell when I'm about to betray you for the third time. It's sad the fact that you simply don't understand."  
"Just what don't I understand?"

"I truly did love you Mavis." Mavis could tell he had almost absorbed Fairy Heart. She could literally see the magic swirling off him. "I loved my brother. I loved my friends, my family, my home. This world took everything from me. It took my family my hope. It took my love, my soul, my sanity. And I can never have any of that back. I should be dead. I should've been a genius. I should've made the world better. I should've saved people. I should've loved the world. I should've married the love of my life. should've had children, raised a family. I should've been better. I should've gotten to live my life like anyone else!" he screamed.

"I know." She whispered. He shook his head.

"No, you don't. and… it's okay. Because unlike you I understand." She frowned her eyes filled with tears. "I understand things never are what they should've been." And then he was gone. A monster replaced him. and only Mavis, the love of his life would ever remember the shy smile of the boy who should've been loved. And she watched him destroy everything they loved. All this started because he had loved too much to let go. In a way she partly understood. He had always been good. It was fitting for the world to end the way it began. It all started because he loved. In a way she guessed that he loved their world to pieces.

"No… they never are." She whispered softly.

* * *

 **A/N one more update this week. I have a little extra time because my Monday's free this week. Although... it's usually pretty free. Anyway, I hope you liked it, thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism is appreciated. Also, I have the first chapter of my new story out finally. It's called, My Darkness, Your Light, Our Humanity. Also, Zeref's still fighting the Black Dragon, so he's not here again. But he'll be done soon and be back! Bye!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref and his brother are estranged and have not spoken for a long time. But a tragedy threatens to shatter Zeref for good. With no one else to go to, Zeref takes a chance and visits his brother. Will Natsu help him?**

 **Warning: Character death! Signs of obvious depression!**

* * *

November 22nd was Thanksgiving Day. However, Zeref sat alone. it was raining outside. Such a bleak day for such a beautiful holiday. But, it definitely did his mood justice. It was Thanksgiving Day, yes, however Zeref had no family to share it with. Just a week before Zeref had a wife and had almost had a child.

But the baby was born prematurely. Mavis, Zeref's wife, and child had died during birth. Even worse than that he hadn't a mother nor a father. They had both died a few years ago. Now, Zeref's only close family left was his brother. And Natsu hated him. Zeref had hoped he'd see him at Mavis's funeral, but Natsu hadn't come. Zeref had called him because Natsu was the only one he COULD call. He hadn't any close friends besides Mavis, and he didn't know any of his other living relatives. Natsu hadn't picked up. Zeref vaguely wondered if he was still a contact in Natsu's phone.

They never talked anymore. Because it was his fault. Everything was his fault. From his relationship with Natsu to the rain falling from the sky. Yes, those were bleak thoughts. But that was the only thing he felt mostly. Other than crippling depression. He saw a councilor to help him with his depression because he couldn't talk to anyone else. But that wasn't really helping. Zeref sighed and grabbed his phone. He dialed HER number. He knew she wouldn't pick up. She was dead. But he needed to hear her voice. Even if it was just her telling him she couldn't come to the phone. Zeref leaned back and listened to it. Over and over again. finally, he let the phone slip from his hand. It fell to the floor with a clack. Zeref only stared out the window, blankly.

Zeref then, left to go see his councilor. He had an appointment with him today. He was the last of the appointments. Zeref didn't bother taking an umbrella. He would rather be wet, then dry. If he was wet, then he would feel like he had a valid reason to still be miserable. What was wrong with him? why couldn't he just be that person in the movies. The one that lost a loved one. Had a long cry scene, was comforted, and then moved on with whatever their main goal was. maybe the problem was that Zeref didn't have a goal. Not anymore. His only real goal was to make Mavis happy. Sure, he had a career, but he'd never been particularly ambitious. He knew that meant he would never rise high in life, but Zeref hadn't minded that. As long as SHE was happy. Maybe the problem was that he HADN'T cried. Maybe the problem was that it was always the love interest that comforted him. He still remembered the day she died, like it was yesterday.

 _Zeref waited in the hallway. The baby was being born way off what was scheduled. The doctor had told him it qualified for a premature birth. Dr. Wendy had told him that one of his loved ones may not survived. She'd never prepared him for both of them leaving him. he still remembered Dr. Wendy's face. Resigned, when she left the delivery room. Zeref stared at her with anxious eyes. Waiting for her to smile and tell him that everything would be okay. No smile came, nor was everything okay. "I'm sorry Mr. Dragneel… your wife and child have died in child birth." Her voice was so quiet, strained. As if she'd resigned herself not to cry but was finding the task far more difficult than she had hoped._

 _"_ _Dead." He echoed. He hadn't been able to see his look. But he was pretty sure his expression hadn't changed much. Zeref had never been good at facial expression. That was why most peopled tended to despise him. they thought the way he was expressionless meant he didn't care. Mavis had not thought that way. She had looked at it as a challenge. If he insisted on being expressionless, then she was determined to make him smile. And she had made him smile. At first, he'd thought she was annoying. But she was there. When his brother decided he hated him. he hadn't cried, not on the outside. Zeref was sure he'd looked blank then too. But she held him. like she could read him, even if there was nothing for her to read. That's when he knew he loved her. "I see." Zeref said after the longest time. It was obvious this hadn't been quite the reaction Dr. Wendy had been expecting. He could tell that she thought that he would looked shocked and choked-up. He didn't cry. There were no tears. People cried for lots of things. When their favorite character dies, when they are hurt, when they are scared. But his wife was dead, and Zeref didn't think his child ever got to live. if something never lived could it even be called dead? Zeref didn't know._

Zeref had waited that night. To cry, to start sobbing and trembling with grief. It never came. He didn't cry because he wasn't sad. he was broken, and that was far deeper. Tears were too shallow for the earth-shattering despair he felt everyday.

Zeref got out of his car and walked into the office. "Mr. Dragneel, you're soaking wet!" the receptionist cried. Zeref didn't even know how she remembered his name. he hadn't been coming here for very long after all. "Invel is almost done with his previous client. You can wait over there." So Zeref waited.

He waited for 30 more minutes. His session was SUPPOSED to happen 30 minutes ago. Zeref guessed that Invel had gotten caught up with his last client. Invel was lucky that he wasn't the type of client to complain about such a thing. "Goodbye now, I have to see my other client." Invel said, pushing a young woman out the door.

"But-."

"I'll see you next session, yes?" the woman blinked and then sighed resignedly.

"Yes." She grumbled. Invel smiled and waved goodbye.

"Excellent!" then he turned to Zeref.

"Do forgive me. Some clients just won't get out." Zeref nodded and followed Invel into the office. "So, how have you been feeling?" Invel asked.

"I've been feeling as I always feel. Empty, like nothing I do really matters. I'm worthless." Invel nodded and Zeref paused. That was really all he'd been feeling ever since her death.

"I see. And how have you been coping?"

"I busy myself with work, stare out the window when there's absolutely no work left to be done, and listen to her voicemail." Zeref said. He was aware that this was not coping and was pretty much the exact definition of avoiding the problem, but Zeref had little care for that.

"Yes, yes, have you tried talking to someone you are close to for help?"

"The only one I'm close to is my brother, but we are not on speaking terms. I've called him, but he won't pick up." Invel tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Well then, if he won't pick up then there's only one thing left to do." Invel said. Zeref sighed.

"I know, I know, give up and try a different method." Invel leaned forward.

"You have to talk to him in person." Zeref had probably the biggest emotional reaction he'd had in weeks. He fell out of his chair. Zeref had always wondered how that was possible on television. Now he saw that it simply, happened.

"Oh no, I can't do that." Zeref said shaking his head.

"Of course, you can. It's Thanksgiving. The time of giving anything. Even forgiveness, but especially love. No one should be alone on Thanksgiving. It is one of the most family orientated holidays out there!" Invel exclaimed. Zeref shook his head.

"I can't do it, he hates me." Zeref whispered.

"I'm sure that's not the case. Just go over there, you'll see!"

"Unannounced. That seems rather rude." Zeref said.

"Send him a text message. If he won't pick up, then you can text him."

"It's rude to invite yourself over to other people's houses." Zeref countered.

"So is not picking up the phone when someone is repeatedly calling you, but that never stopped your brother." Zeref blinked. He supposed Invel was right, but he just wasn't sure. Zeref took a deep breath and sighed.

"Alright, but I won't enjoy it."

"Just spending time with him is all I ask." Invel said. Zeref nodded and stood up.

"That's all I need to talk about today." Zeref said. Invel nodded and Zeref left his office. Visit Natsu, huh? He could always not and say he did. But Zeref doubted that would work. Invel would find out eventually that he didn't actually visit his brother. Invel had a weird way of always knowing something. Zeref didn't doubt he'd figure that out too. Zeref got in his car and sent Natsu a quick text telling him he'd be over for dinner. Zeref took a deep breath and hit the send button. Then he started the hour-long drive to his brothers. Questions were running furiously and relentlessly through his head. Would his brother slam the door in his face, be happy to see him, what if Natsu didn't even recognize who he was? Zeref knew he looked different from when Natsu last saw him. Paler, skinnier, blanker, darker circles under his eyes. Zeref had developed insomnia. He barely slept, and when he did his sleep was plagued by nightmares and worse, memories.

Zeref got out of his car and slowly walked up to his brothers house. He lived with his wife, Lucy, and they had a child named Igneel, but Zeref had never met him. Zeref knew this because Mavis had been friends with Lucy. They had never lost touch despite the brothers being on such bad terms. Zeref listened to her voicemail one last time and then rang the doorbell.

"Coming!" A voice said frantically. "Just a minute!" Zeref waited silently. The rain was falling even heavier than before. still, Zeref made no move to try and shield himself. Suddenly, the door flew open and there, before Zeref, was Natsu. He looked energetic and tanned and happy. When his eyes landed on Zeref his expression darkened slightly. "Oh, it's you." Natsu squinted. "You are Zeref, right?" Zeref nodded mutely. Natsu had to ask? Zeref wondered if he really needed elaboration, or if Natsu was just subtly trying to tell Zeref that he was still mad. Zeref had learned a long time ago that Natsu could hold a grudge.

"Yeah, it's me." Zeref said softly. Natsu sighed.

"Well, don't just stand there in the rain, come on." He said irritably, motioning for Zeref to come in. Zeref hesitated for a moment, before walking in. "You're soaked. If you're not careful, you'll catch your death." Zeref was aware that no one said that anymore. And Natsu couldn't have known that was what Zeref was vaguely hoping for. He had no goals, no family, no friends. Just a job, a house, and more mental illnesses than he could count on one hand. Zeref hadn't even realized Natsu had left his side until he returned with a towel. "Why did you come here anyway?" Natsu asked.

"It is Thanksgiving. I haven't seen you in a while either. It seemed like a good excuse." Natsu rolled his eyes.

"I thought I made it clear that I don't want to see you." He said coldly. "Not until the day they bury you." Zeref wouldn't lie, that hurt. But his expression didn't change. Natsu's scowl deepened.

"And that's another reason why I hate you. You're too emotionless."

"Just because I do not go flaunting my emotions, does not mean I do not feel them." Zeref said quietly.

"Flaunting, is that what you call it?" Zeref didn't respond. He didn't know how. Was that a rhetorical question? Was he supposed to answer it? Apparently, the answer was no. "I just don't understand you." Natsu said, shaking his head. "You think you can come here, barge in without any warning and pretend you didn't do what you did?" Zeref was silent for a long while. Finally, he said,

"I sent a text." Natsu growled and grabbed his collar lifting him up to meet his eyes. Zeref almost hoped Natsu would punch him. then he'd feel something besides the void in his soul.

"Don't you remember? How could you forget? No, you didn't forget, you're just running away! You always run away from your problems! How can you just stand there and pretend nothing happened!" Zeref bit his lip. He did remember. But pretending was what he did best.

 _Zeref was standing there, frozen. Natsu had already left. The phone lines were down, there was no time to get a cell phone. They were blocked. Natsu had run out the back door to get help. Zeref had taken a bullet for him. their parents were on the other side of the room. They were talking to Zeref, telling him to be brave. Zeref knew that the consoling was more for themselves than for him. when they told him to be brave they were really telling themselves to be brave. After all, they knew that Zeref had no real potential to do anything brave._

 _Zeref never moved. Neither did the robbers. Everyone was afraid, and the stakes were high. One wrong move and all of them died. The only way out was the back door. That was where Zeref was standing. The police officers were by the front door. "Come out with your hands up!" they were screaming. The robbers eventually decided they'd had enough._

 _"_ _NO DON'T!" his mother screamed. His father followed her as they ran across the room. The both of them shielded Zeref as the police finally broke down the front door. The robbers shot, twice, before they were tackled and shocked by the tasers. Both shots had hit. One for each of his parents. In the head._

 _Natsu rushed in despite the police trying to hold him back. "Mom, dad, Zeref!" he cried rushing forward. He stood there in shock. His lip trembled. "Are they… are they…" he couldn't finish the sentence. Zeref only nodded. Again, he did not cry. Natsu watched a moment longer before silent tears started streaming down his face._

 _"_ _I'm sorry." Zeref said. "They did it to protect me. If I hadn't been in the way this never would've-."_

 _"_ _SHUT UP!" Natsu screamed. "Just leave me alone." he whispered. The two of them had come for the holiday. For Thanksgiving. Zeref said nothing. He knew Natsu only blamed him to blame someone. So, Zeref sat back and let Natsu blame him. he honestly thought he deserved it. He'd do anything for his only family left. He'd let Natsu blame him now. He'd let Natsu blame him for the rest of his life it made things easier for him. Zeref didn't experience emotions the way everyone else did. He couldn't even bring himself to feel angry at the robbers. It just wasn't there. All that was there was that sense of hopelessness. Zeref tried not to think about it. If he did then the feeling would only grow. His parents would never smile again, and neither would she._

"How can you come here at this time of year and pretend nothing happened!" Natsu demanded. But at the same time, Zeref was tired of letting Natsu do this. Being actively accused was worse than knowing someone accused you.

"BECAUSE IT WASN'T MY FAULT! IT WAS NO ONE'S FAULT!" Zeref knew he was as close to anger as he was ever going to get. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE ANGRY AT ME ANYMORE, NONE! NOT WHEN YOU NEVER LET ME IN. I DIDN'T MAKE MOM AND DAD JUMP IN FRONT OF ME. THAT WAS THEIR DECISION! YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE WAS SOMEONE ELSE'S DECISION? NOT INVITING ME TO YOUR WEDDING. THAT WAS YOUR DECISION. NOT BEING INVITED TO THE BABY SHOWER, THAT WAS YOUR DECISION. NOT FOR CHRISTMAS, OR THANKSGIVING! BUT MAVIS WAS INVITED! SHE WAS ALWAYS INVITED. MY OWN BROTHER DIDN'T WANT ME THERE. BUT HE WAS WILLING TO LET MY WIFE COME OVER! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT FELT LIKE! And then you didn't come." He finished in a whisper. "And you never picked up. Lucy came. But you didn't. I needed you to be there. I needed you to pick up. And you didn't. just because I don't show my emotions doesn't mean that I'm unaffected by how others treat me. I am… I'm more affected then most people are." Natsu was only staring at him.

"Let me ask you something."

"What?" Zeref asked glumly.

"When she died, did you cry?"

"No." Natsu sighed.

"Not even one tear?" Zeref shook his head.

"What I feel is much deeper than any single tear can describe. I feel incomplete. A part of me is missing. A vital part. Natsu I need you. I don't have anyone else to talk to. It's pathetic, but I don't. she was my world. They were my world." Zeref squeezed his eyes tight. He knew that telling Natsu wasn't enough. He had to show him. his heart was clenching, and emotions of deep hurt and sadness were swirling inside him. "And they aren't coming back." Zeref whispered. He finally looked at Natsu and let all the emotions flicker across his features. Hurt, desperation, grief, loneliness, anxiety, depression, torment, guilt, pathetic. But most of all he felt vulnerable. He was showing Natsu all of this. He'd never been more vulnerable in his life. but there was one bright side to all of this. It looked like Natsu finally understood.

"Zeref…" he whispered. His expression was one of understanding. Of comfort. "I'm sorry I didn't come. I'm sorry I've shut you out, never invited you because I was scared. The only one who deserves how I treated you is me. I was a horrible brother. I should've gotten over my petty rage and realized how much you needed me. I should've picked up when you called. I promise that I almost did every time but… then I remembered what I'd done to you. I never realized that the reason you were calling wasn't because you wanted to tell me that you hated me but because you wanted me to tell you the exact opposite." Zeref knew that Natsu was good at reading emotions, but that was even deeper than Zeref had understood it. Natsu embraced him tightly and cried and Zeref held him. he didn't cry, he didn't need to. "Why don't we celebrate? Our coming back together. Let's have a good dinner and have fun. Heaven knows you could use it. You look, not to sound offensive or anything but, you look horrible. Like you haven't slept in days." Zeref didn't bother to tell him that he hadn't. "And you look like you haven't eaten much either." He had briefly been trying to starve himself, but then realized that it was too uncomfortable.

"Thank you." Zeref whispered. "You don't know how happy that makes me."

"Oh, but I do. your welcome, and you have nothing to thank me for. I'm just doing what I should've done in the first place." He said smiling. Zeref nodded.

"Right. But where's Lucy and Igneel?"

"They went to Lucy's father's for Thanksgiving. I… I got your text message actually and I faked sick, so I could be here. I knew today was the day. I gathered up all my courage to do it and I'm glad I did." Natsu said smiling.

So, they ate. It was cereal, but it was the best meal Zeref had ever had. The last time he'd been this happy was when Mavis told him she was pregnant. And that was a very long time ago. "Natsu." Zeref whispered. The two of them were lying on the couch. The movie was finished and Natsu was half asleep.

"Hm…" Natsu mumbled sleepily.

"I can't tell you how happy you've made me." Zeref whispered.

"I know I'm awesome." Natsu said and yawned. Zeref closed his eyes and laid his head on Natsu's. they fell asleep like that and Zeref could never have asked for anything more.

In the morning Zeref left Natsu's house. It was still raining. Zeref still didn't take an umbrella. He listened to her voicemail again. it was becoming a habit. One that he wouldn't break any time soon. but he heard other words rather than she'd get back to him later. Instead he heard the unspoken question. _Do fairies have tails?_ It was random. The logical answer would be that fairies don't even exist. She would say it was a never-ending adventure. Zeref himself didn't know the answer. And even if he did he would never tell her. it would spoil the fun of it. Zeref thought that, even if he never found the answer in this life he would find it with her in the next.

Two weeks later Zeref was sitting in Invel's office again. His depression, however, wasn't as severe as it had been on their last visit. Zeref didn't really have anything to say, the silence was enough for him. still, he knew he had to say it. "Thank you." He told Invel.

"For what? I'm just doing my job." Invel said.

"For suggesting that I go to Natsu's. we've worked things out. I'm happier than I have been in weeks. I don't feel so empty. Things don't feel so hopeless. And the best part is I have a new goal."

"Oh?" Invel looked intrigued. "And what is that?"

"My goal is to live happily-ever-after. It sounds cliché, but it's what I want. It's nothing less than I deserve, and I'm going to make it happen. I'm going to work hard and do whatever it takes to keep on living. It will be my purpose to go out, have fun, make friends. I've decided that I have to make a new world. It's what Mavis would want. And it's what I want." Zeref said. Invel nodded.

"That sounds like a fantastic goal! It was about time you made a new world for yourself." Zeref tilted his head in acknowledgement.

"Yes, I have been thinking on it ever since I told Natsu that my world was Mavis. I've decided that there's more to life than dwelling on someone who's never coming back and that I should keep on moving even though it hurts." Zeref said. "She would want me to be happy."

"Yes, she would." Zeref finally smiled.

"So, thank you." Zeref whispered getting up. "And I don't think I'll schedule anymore appointments." Invel nodded. Sad to see him go but happy at the same time.

So, Zeref left that office for the last time. "Goodbye." He said.

"Goodbye." Zeref walked outside. It was still raining. But things didn't look so bleak anymore. _So, where to next my love?_ He could almost hear her asking him. "Let's find out if fairies have tails. Let's go on another adventure. Let's find ourselves and believe and dream and live like we never have before." he answered. But really, he was saying, let's find happiness.

* * *

 **A/N Here's your Thanksgiving special! I hope you liked it and I'm sorry for any mistakes. Thanks for reading, reviews and constructive criticism appreciated! Happy Thanksgiving!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail**

 **Summary: Mavis, Lucy, Erza, and Juvia are having a sleepover. Since none of them can sleep they all decide to go for a walk. Little do they know that there is something lurking in the shadows. Is this thing friend or foe? (cheesy summary, also I don't know how there's a deer in the city, let's just say that it was dragged from the forest so they could go somewhere quiet to eat it... the birds in the forest were too noisy. You don't understand what I mean yet, but you will, so I'm apologizing for the minor plot hole in advance.)**

The moon was full, and the night was pitch black. And everything was dead-silent, except for the howls that filled the landscape. With their eerie sounds that sent jitters up your spine. "And just when the last girl thought she was safe. Their, behind her, was the murderer of camp spirit! Her screams still echo through the camps till this very day." A new round of howls filled the room, making the girls shriek. Erza smirked and leaned back, crossing her arms. "And that's my spooky story." The girls let out a sigh of relief and then giggled.

"Okay, I think that's enough for tonight." Lucy said, smiling. The girls all nodded their agreement and Mavis reached over and turned off the lamp. The four girls laid down but none of them could go to sleep after the story they'd just heard. "Hey!" Lucy said, sitting up. "Why don't we go for a walk. Just the four of us." She grinned, hopping up. "C'mon! it'll fun!" the three other girls looked at each other.

"Juvia isn't sure…" Juvia said uncertainly.

"Aww… come on!" Lucy begged.

"I think it's a great idea!" Mavis exclaimed. Erza nodded. Juvia sighed and then smiled.

"Alright!" she said. "But if we get murdered I'm blaming you guys!" she said. The girls all high-fived and got dressed. Lucy decided on a pink mini skirt with gray leggings and pink high-heeled boots. She also had on a gray scarf with a large pink long-sleeved shirt. She wore some of her hair up in a side ponytail with the rest down. Mavis just wore a long pink dress and her hair in pigtails. She had abandoned her shoes. No one quite knew why she did this, but Mavis claimed that it was more comfortable. How walking on rocks barefooted was more comfortable no one would ever know. Erza had braided her long scarlet hair and wore a red coat and long black jeans. She had on black gloves and boots as well as earmuffs. Juvia had a blue hoodie and white jeans. Her hair was tied in a low side ponytail that hung over her shoulder. "Are we all ready?" Juvia asked. the others nodded and followed her out.

They were walking down the dark streets when they heard animalistic sounds coming from around the corner. Erza, naturally being the bravest, took the lead. What they saw was not a pretty sight. There were four wolves crowded around a dead deer. Mavis let out an involuntary shriek. The four wolves turned around. "I told you this wasn't a good idea!" Juvia cried.

"Nobody move!" Erza ordered in her commanding voice. None of the girls moved. "Don't look away and slowly back up. Not too fast now." Erza whispered. "Don't look scared." She said. When Erza finally backed up enough she reached down and picked up a large rock. "Go away!" she cried, throwing the rock and stretching herself up. The other girls tried to do the same, but the wolves didn't run. If wolves had expressions, then Lucy was pretty sure they would look amused. Her eyes widened as she saw the wolves start to shudder and convulse Lucy screamed and backed up. Their bones looked to be rearranging themselves. It was probably the most grotesque scene Lucy had ever experienced. When the wolves were done… transforming in their place were four NAKED young men. Lucy shrieked and turned away with a huge blush on her face, as did Juvia and Mavis. "What's wrong? there's nothing shameful about nudity." Erza said, turning toward the other three.

"It's not that it's just…" Lucy trailed off. If it wasn't about the shame of it, then what WAS the problem?

"Exactly." Erza said. Then Erza turned back to the men and pulled out a crowbar. "Alright, what just happened?" she asked.

"Aw… why'd we have to change back right now!" the pink-haired man complained. He looked up at the moon and shook his fist at it. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!" he screamed at it. "HUH? WHY WOULD YOU MAKE US CHANGE BACK WHEN THERE ARE NOW SEMI-INNOCENT GIRLS HERE!... not that I mind… BUT STILL!"

"Screaming at the moon isn't going to do anything except make you look even crazier than you already look." The blue-eyed man said.

"He's right." The tattoo man said.

"Who are you? Tell us now before I beat you to death!" Erza said, raising the crowbar above her head in a threatening way. None of them really doubted it either. After all, she'd just been throwing rocks at them moments ago.

"Okay, okay, mercy!" tattoo man said. Erza narrowed her eyes.

"Are they dressed yet!" Mavis cried.

"No!" Erza said.

"Where did we leave our clothes this time anyway?" the blue-eyed man wondered, looking around.

"Honestly, what would any of you do without me?" the dark-haired man spoke for the first time. He brandished what Erza presumed to be their clothes and dressed. "Am I the only one with any common sense?" he rolled his eyes.

Once they were dressed they introduced themselves. "I'm Gray Fullbuster. I'm a dominant wolf." Said the blue-eyed man. He also had dark hair with pale skin, a strong build and a strong jaw. He was beautiful.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel, the Alpha of this group!" the pink haired man exclaimed. He also had onyx eyes a toothy smile and a strong build. He was less beautiful and had more of a childish cuteness. Especially with his innocent smile.

"I'm Jellal Fernandez. Omega." The tattoo man said. He had an intricate red tattoo on the bottom and top of his right eye. He had blue hair, was the tallest of the group and had warm hazel eyes.

"I'm Zeref Dragneel." The last man said. He was the shortest of the group and had dark raven hair with big black eyes. "I'm a submissive and Natsu's older brother." Yes, despite Natsu being alpha Zeref was submissive. It was his nature and he couldn't help it.

"They are clothed, right?" Juvia elaborated.

"Yes." Erza said. The other girls finally turned around.

"Wow." Juvia said. She was staring at Gray with this dreamy look on her face. Natsu sniggered and elbowed Gray lightly in the ribs. Gray snarled and glared at Natsu. Natsu just continued smirking and then turned back to the girls. "Why does he have to be so cute." Juvia whined quietly. Erza raised an eyebrow.

"If you say so. I honestly don't know what's so special about them."

"They're gorgeous! Just look at them!" Lucy said, gesturing wildly. "Are you blind!"

"No, she's oblivious to the opposite gender." Juvia said. Erza glared at her and crossed her arms.

"I am NOT oblivious. I just hold no interest in dating right now." Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, sure. And cats fly. Now what do you think about all this Mavis?"

"They're nice." Mavis said a huge blush still across her cheeks. Lucy giggled and sighed.

"Yeah they are… but wait!" she cried. "What are you?" she asked suspiciously, eyeing them.

"We're werewolves." Natsu piped up.

"Shut up you idiot!" Gray growled, smacking Natsu on the back of the head. Natsu scowled and snarled slightly.

"You want a piece of me!" he cried. And before the girls knew it an all-out battle had commenced. Lucy frowned.

"They won't hurt each other, will they?" in all the stories Lucy had ever read usually in fights like these both parties were seriously wounded. Zeref shook his head.

"No. If things get too bad one of three things will happen. 1. Jellal puts a stop to the fight. He doesn't have to listen to Alpha orders and both Gray and Natsu have an overwhelming urge to protect him. it's because he's an omega. 2. I stop the fight by calming them. I'm submissive so they have a strong urge to protect me as well. Usually I can smooth things over. Or if neither of us is around is when 3 happens. 3. Natsu orders Gray to stop. Though they are both pretty equal in strength but Natsu's the alpha of the pack. Gray HAS to listen to him." Zeref explained.

"Oh, that's good I guess." Lucy sighed in relief. Jellal nodded.

"Yes, although, it usually doesn't get to that point." He told them.

"That makes sense I guess. Although, why doesn't Natsu just order Gray to stop in the first place. Then they would never fight."

"Just because Natsu can order us around, doesn't mean that he should. If Natsu were to start ordering Gray around too much, then resentment would start to grow, and resentment is not good. Plus, Natsu's childish and he relishes a good fight."

"Okay… Juvia hopes Gray wins." Juvia cried, cheering for the one she wanted to win.

"Unlikely, most of their battles end in a draw." Zeref said. "Technically, both of them are equally dominant. Normally, this would cause problems in the pack. In another one Natsu and Gray would have to fight to the death for the position of Alpha." Mavis gasped.

"Why!" she exclaimed. "That's so unfair." Zeref nodded.

"It is, and in a normal pack, that's how things would work. However, this works because Natsu inherits the title and because Gray doesn't mind not being Alpha. If Gray were to ever officially challenge Natsu's authority, it still might end in a death battle."

"Let's hope things never happen like that." Lucy said. She didn't know these boys very well, but she did know that whoever they were they didn't deserve to die.

"Yes, let's hope. This time however, it looks like there is to be a clear winner." Zeref said, looking mildly surprised. Natsu pinned Gray down in the street and bared his fangs in a snarl. He lowered himself to Gray, his fangs hovering inches away from his neck. Gray glared and struggled for a minute before giving up. He whimpered and tilted his head so Natsu could have better access to his neck. "Here's where Natsu could kill him. Natsu's established his dominance and Gray has given up and is now submissive." Zeref said. Natsu feigned biting Gray's neck. Lucy involuntarily jumped and let out a squeak. Natsu turned to her and smirked. There eyes locked for several seconds. Realizing that it might appear like she was challenging him she let her eyes drop. Gray let out another whimper, and shifted, dragging Natsu's attention back to him. Natsu's smirk widened and the girls watched as Natsu laid a light kiss on Gray's vulnerable throat before pulling back and letting him go. "Prolonging the helplessness is for humiliation purposes. Natsu's saying that he could hold Gray there as long as he wanted without breaking a sweat. The kiss is letting him know that Natsu isn't angry and that Gray is forgiven." Gray jumped up from his position on the ground and glared at Natsu, blushing slightly from the humiliation of the situation.

"Next time I'll get you." Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Keep telling yourself that, buddy…" he said, slinging an arm around Gray's shoulder. "Anyway, we should probably get going now." Natsu said, grinning. We have to go hunting bright and early tomorrow morning."

"You do?" Lucy asked. Natsu nodded. "We will see you again though, yes?" she asked.

"Maybe." Jellal said.

"Don't leave!" Juvia cried. "We just barely got to know each other."

Natsu watched as these girls tried to ask them to stay longer and get to know each other. He would be lying if he said he wasn't the least bit attracted. He thought the blonde was cute. She had big doe-brown eyes that reminded him of the bunny before he killed it. The blue-haired one obviously had the hots for Gray. She was pretty with medium length blue hair and big dark-blue eyes. She had thick lashes and pale skin. The red-head was scarily beautiful. She had long, dark scarlet hair, like blood, and fierce brown eyes. If the ivory-skinned beauty were a werewolf he was sure even he'd be outclassed in dominance. The last one looked like a little fairy. She was petite and had freakishly long wavy blonde hair. Her eyes were big and green and the most innocent of them all. She looked childish. If these four were all werewolves then he would peg them each as this. The blue-haired girl was dominant. While she would roll over if her superior told her so, she also had something fierce about her. like she wouldn't let anyone take what she knew was hers. The doe-eyed girl would be submissive. He could tell she would fight to protect what was hers, but he also saw that she wouldn't like to stand up to anyone she didn't deem a life or death threat. The scarlet-haired girl was, as he'd said before, an alpha. She was a leader and wouldn't let anyone stand in her way. The blonde would be an omega. He could tell she would stand up for herself if she had to, but also would prefer not to fight if she could.

"You never told us your names." Natsu said. They all blinked at him.

"Our names, right! How rude of us." The doe-eyed girl exclaimed. "I'm Lucy, Lucy Heartfillia." She smiled and held out her hand. "How do you do?"

"Good." He said shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Juvia Lockser. It's a pleasure to meet you!" the blue-haired girl said, smiling.

"Erza Scarlet." The red-head said with a small smile. The boys thought that was a rather big coincidence considering her hair color.

"And I'm Mavis Vermillion!" the fairy-like girl said, a gigantic smile on her face. They all shook hands. Natsu felt his heart pulse while shaking Lucy's hand. He jolted slightly. He turned to see his friends have the same reaction. To different girls, however. Zeref to Mavis. Jellal to Erza. And Gray to Juvia.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked, wondering why he'd jolted. Natsu and his friends exchanged looks.

"I think… we just found our mates." Natsu said incredulously. Lucy frowned.

"Um… what do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"Like… our girlfriends, except for werewolves." Natsu said. Lucy blinked at him.

"You mean… you're in love?"

"Well, no… that's not exactly how it works. It's like you're our future loves. You're the ONES. Like in the fairytales, you know?" Lucy slowly nodded.

"I guess so."

"So, we're like… supposed to be your girlfriends?" Mavis asked.

"Kind of." Zeref said. "It's like we're destined to be together. We're not in love yet, but we will be. You are our only. A werewolf only mates once. And once it's mate is gone, then we're destined to be alone… although, even in all my years I've never met a werewolf whose mate was human. It's unheard of… and for us to ALL have human mates… it's an unfeasible coincidence!" he cried.

"It's not good for a werewolf to have a human mate since humans grow old and die." Jellal said with a frown. "And werewolves live virtually forever."

"Juvia's fine with being Gray's mate." Juvia said, already clinging to him.

"Most girls wouldn't say that after a werewolf just lost miserably." Gray said dryly.

"It must PROVE she's your soulmate. No one else would want you after your pitiful display after all." Natsu said, laughing. Gray glared at him and grumbled under his breath about Natsu catching him off guard and how it wasn't a real win. "So…" Natsu trailed off, obviously thinking. "We could try to turn them."

"Wait… you're going to kill us!" Lucy cried. Zeref rolled his eyes.

"That's vampires you're thinking of. What we're about to do will give you what you humans call a "disease". It will give you what you also call lycanthropy." Zeref said matter-of-factly.

"Whatever! I hear… well, I've read that people don't survive those kinds of things… most of the time anyway!" Mavis cried.

"It's okay, those are only in those silly novels! Anyway, we don't have to do it right away. We can wait a few years even if you want to get to know us better." Natsu said reasonably. The girls looked like they calmed down a bit after he said that.

"Well, I guess that gives us some time to think about it anyway." Lucy said. They all gave a relieved sigh. The guys nodded.

"We can wait." Natsu said. "No rush." He added for good measure.

Lucy nodded and then a thought occurred to her. "Wait, who are we paired with anyway?" she asked. Natsu grinned.

"You're with me!" he exclaimed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Lucy blushed bright red.

"I believe you are my mate." Zeref said to Mavis. She smiled.

"I'm just glad I didn't get stuck with Natsu." Zeref smirked.

"Oh, he really isn't all THAT bad."

"He isn't?" Lucy asked, relieved. Zeref shook his head and Lucy let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"He's worse." Zeref said. Lucy's eyes popped open and Natsu laughed maniacally.

"I'm with Juvia." Gray said.

"I guess that leaves you with me." Erza said skeptically, staring at Jellal with calculating eyes. Jellal gulped as Erza sort of… sized him up. "I suppose I could've done worse." Jellal let some tension relax. Erza kept eyeing him up and down. "But I could've done better." She added. Jellal tensed again. Zeref patted Jellal on the shoulder mournfully as Erza turned away. "Hm…" she wondered aloud. "What should I do tomorrow." Jellal raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was talking about. Then he understood.

"Hey um, do you want to go on a date tomorrow?" he asked. she turned back toward him a small smile on her face.

"Well I guess you pass my test Fernandez. You're the first so far." Jellal thought that was weird since her test wasn't that hard. But he supposed it WOULD be hard to work up the courage to ask her on a date. If Jellal weren't a werewolf… Natsu suddenly had the bright idea to pipe up.

"Hey, we could all go on a date together! Like, a quadruple date!" he cried. Erza sighed and thought about it.

"Alright, on one condition." They all stared at her. "We stay out of each other's way or…" she trailed off and waved the crowbar around for emphasis on her point.

"But-." Natsu started. then it hit him… literally.

"No buts!" Erza cried, glaring at him. she'd hit him on the head with the crowbar. Natsu looked up ready to tear her throat out, but even the wolf in him coward when he met her gaze. So, as you could guess the human in him was crying and trying to run away. Her glare was terrifying. He dropped his eyes to the ground in instant defeat. Jellal chuckled softly.

"Looks like you met your match." He said, grinning.

"Whatever." Natsu grumbled. "So, quadruple date tomorrow at noon?" he set up the date. "At the park. We'll have a picnic. Pack a LOT! I'm not kidding." The girls nodded. "LOT!" he said again. Erza glared at him again.

"We get it." She said. Natsu nodded, satisfied, and terrified too.

"So… goodbye till tomorrow I guess." Lucy said with a blush on her face. The boys nodded also smiling.

"Goodbye." They said and waved. Both parties turned in opposite directions and started walking their respective ways home.

"That was interesting." Juvia said, grinning. Lucy snorted.

"That's one word for it." She said, still, in many ways thinking she was dreaming. But, it would be odd for all of them to have same dream while totally awake, right? Right.

"I think it was wonderful." Mavis said with a sigh. "I mean I got the sensible one." She said.

"I got the calm one. Maybe he can help me calm down when I'm in a rage." Erza said.

"I got the tall dark and handsome one." Juvia said dreamily, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.

"And I got… and I got…" Lucy trailed off before hanging her head with a groan. "I got the goofball." She whined. The three other girls laughed. Lucy pouted. "It's not funny!" she cried.

"It kind of is!" Mavis said, still giggling. Lucy sighed and looked up at the moon.

"I'm glad we came out here tonight." She whispered. The other three nodded in unanimous agreement. So, in the dead of night with the moon shining full the three girls went home and slept. Although, that hardly seemed exciting after the night they'd had.

"They are the ones, right?" Jellal asked.

"Well, that was obviously the jolt when you find your mate. Of course, they're the ones." Zeref said, obviously annoyed.

"I'm glad they're the ones. They're beautiful, smart, funny…" Natsu trailed off as he looked to Jellal. "Terrifying." He said. Jellal nodded in agreement.

"I thought she was going to rip my head off." He said honestly.

"Seriously?" Gray asked. Jellal chuckled.

"Yep, I though she'd rip it right off my shoulders. And when she was eyeing me I thought I was going to die from all the dread creeping up." He shivered just by thinking about it. Natsu laughed and looked ahead as they kept strolling through the dark streets.

"Are we sure a date was the best idea?" he asked. the other three shrugged.

"We can't be sure until it happens." Zeref reasoned. "And it will be good to get to know our mates. I've heard of wolves rushing into things too quickly and the love ends up turning sour. That's probably the worst thing that could happen." They all shiver at the thought. Losing their mate or their mate hating them sounded almost as scary as one of Erza's glares. Natsu grinned to try and lighten the mood.

"Well, I don't think I really care as long as their happy. I mean, she's my mate. Her happiness is my priority. All our priorities." They nod. Having their mate happy was the best thing in the world. "I wouldn't be able to stand it if she weren't happy. That's why I'm going to make it my goal!"

"Yeah, but what about the fact that she's human… the fact that they're all human." Gray said. Natsu sighed. "Are we really going to turn them into werewolves?"

"I don't know." Natsu said quietly. "I mean… that would probably be for the best, considering that then we could live a happy and fulfilling life with our mates by our sides until the day we die."

"But would they be happy?" Zeref whispered. All four men were silent. They wouldn't be sure of anything until the girls were turned. And if it turned out that it made them unhappy well then… there was no reversing what had been done.

"Maybe we just shouldn't do it… you know, not take any chances. It's like they say, why change a good thing?" Jellal said. They were all silent.

"Like always, you're right Jellal." Natsu said, with a sigh. "Keeping them human would probably make them better. They don't know how hard it is to be virtually immortal. It might break them. Humans are born knowing they will die." Natsu said quietly.

"We were human once…" Zeref said quietly. This gave Natsu pause. It was true. All of them had been human at one point or another in their lives. They had learned to cope with lycanthropy. "But not everyone is us." Zeref added.

"Yeah… let's just see where our dates take us. We'll see what to do from there." Natsu said. The other three nodded, agreeing with what Natsu had said.

"Yes, it's best to move slow. We'd rather be safe rather than sorry, after all." Jellal said.

"Yeah, that'll be for the best." Natsu opened the door to his apartment and let the other guys in first. He already thought he liked Lucy. Although, that was what was supposed to happen when you met your mate. It was unheard of for a werewolf to feel disgust when first seeing your mate.

"This will be hard." Zeref said to him.

"We can handle it." Natsu insisted. "We always do."

"As always your optimistic." Gray said. "It's sickening." Natsu grinned a not-so-sweet grin.

"Why thank you."

They all moved inside the house for the it was almost 1:00 A.M, and they had to hunt in the morning for breakfast. They'd be hungry again by lunch, sure, but they still needed lots of meat to make it until then. "Tomorrow should be great." Natsu said from just outside the doorway. The others, who were already inside the house nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it should." Gray said.

"It will be." Jellal said with a small smile.

"It will be stunning." His brother said reassuringly. Natsu grinned at them too and turned to look back up at the full moon.

"Hey," he said quietly. "I know I was made at you earlier and yelled at you, and now I'm probably considered crazy for talking to you, but I just wanted to say..." he gazed up at the moon. It had always been there for him. Even centuries ago it was still there. The same moon. The only thing that had been constant through his hundreds of years of being alive. He smiled brightly at it. It was almost as beautiful and radiant as his mate. "Thank you." he whispered, closing the door with a quiet click.

 **A/N Hey, I've finally updated this and it's not a holiday special! Who's excited? *raises hand*. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter because it was one of my favorites to write. I think this was originally supposed to be vampires but meh. So, if you like Dragneel brothers I implore you to check out some of my other stuff. My Darkness, Your Light, Our Humanity is a multi-chapter centering around the Zervis ship. Dreams and Reality is a one-shot about how Zeref tries making his dreams into reality as per the title. How the Zrinch Stole Christmas, which is a crossover between Fairytail and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And finally, my newest Zeref's Guide to Why Immortality is Overrated, this is a one-shot where Zeref keeps a journal written in first-person about why immortality sucks among other things. So, if any of those interest you, check them out. I also have news that I am now a beta-reader so if you're interested in one of those, contact me. :) I might update this once more before Christmas, but we'll see. Reviews/favorites/follows are appreciated! So, bye!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref is a well-known criminal who is sentenced to spend his entire life in prison. Natsu is a young man who has his whole life ahead of him, but who has made a mistake, landing him in prison. And who better to be his cellmate in the overcrowded prison? Zeref of course!**

 **I do not know if this is how prison operates, but for the purpose of the story, this is how it works for now! Sorry if it's unrealistic.**

* * *

Zeref looked up when he heard his cell door open. "Meet your new cellmate." The officer said, pushing a young man through the doors. Zeref could tell the police officer felt slightly sorry for the man but walked off regardless. Zeref could understand this, after all he was one of the most dangerous criminals in the world. The only reason he had a cellmate was because they were already overflowing as it was. Zeref smirked at the young man.

"Hello." Zeref said in a quiet voice. The pink-haired boy stared at him nervously. "My name's Zeref. Yours?"

"N-Natsu." The boy said, wringing his fingers as a habit.

"And how old are you, Natsu?"

"18." He stuttered. "H-how old are you?"

"22." Zeref said. Natsu sat next to Zeref. "So, what're you in here for?" Natsu sighed and leaned back on the wall. It was clear that Natsu didn't really want to talk about it.

"I'll tell you if you tell me first." Natsu said. Zeref sighed. he hadn't really expected the conversation to go this way.

"Fine. the list goes on for a while though." Natsu nodded. "I'm in here for some theft, some arson, but mostly murder." Zeref said. Natsu gulped, staring at him.

"H-how many?" Natsu asked. Zeref glanced at him.

"Hundreds." Zeref said, unblinking. Natsu stared at him for a moment, and then scooted away slightly. This action made Zeref laugh. He got that reaction a lot. Natsu laughed nervously. Zeref leaned back and sighed. it was unlikely they would talk much after Natsu knew this. "So… what did you do to get in here?"

"I… I'm in here for arson and a little bit of theft. Though, I fortunately didn't kill anyone with the fire, so my sentence isn't too long." Natsu said with a shrug. Zeref nodded and glanced at Natsu.

"How badly do you wish you could get out of this?" Natsu groaned

"Really bad." Natsu said with a sigh. "Unfortunately, there's no getting out of this… right?" Natsu tried. Zeref just smirked and folded his hands together.

"Just how far are you willing to go, is the real question." Zeref said. Natsu blinked at him, his eyes widening.

"W-What do you mean?" Natsu asked skeptically, his voice trembling slightly. Did Zeref mean that he wanted to break out of prison? Wasn't that against the law? Wait… Natsu was in here because he broke the law! What did he care if he broke it one more time? However, because Natsu broke the law was why he was even here discussing this. What did they do to people who broke the law twice? "B-but if we get caught, d-doesn't that mean we get an even longer sentence? I have a girlfriend… she's waiting for me out there! You might not care because you don't have a life, but I do!"

"And if you do escape then you can see her even sooner. And you can be together for longer, am I right? The important thing to ask yourself, is… does the reward outweigh the risk." Natsu bit his lip, thinking harder than he ever had in his entire life.

"I don't know…" Natsu said quietly after a long time. "Does it?"

"You tell me. After all, you're the one with a life." Zeref said smirking slightly. Natsu cleared his throat and glared.

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it!" Natsu cried. It was strange, talking with this man who'd murdered people… but for what? What purpose did that serve. Zeref didn't seem like a psychopath. Natsu hadn't done much research on psychopaths but he'd figured they were supposed to be a little… crazier? Natsu finally sighed and glanced at Zeref.

"What… why did you do it? You must've had a reason for killing people." Zeref stared at him blankly.

"I had a goal. They got in the way. So, I eliminated them." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Natsu just stared at him for the longest time.

"You can't be serious… that's it?" Natsu said incredulously. Zeref just stared at him and tilted his head slightly.

"I do not understand." Suddenly he smirked. "What's there to not be serious about?" Natsu didn't say anything for a while, genuinely horrified by what he was hearing. Natsu slumped down and said finally,

"I'll think about it."

"Think about what?" Zeref asked, his brows drawing slightly together.

"About breaking out." Natsu said nervously. He rubbed his arms self consciously and then curled up on the bed, his back to Zeref. Perhaps turning his back on a murderer wasn't the smartest thing Natsu had ever done, but he didn't really want to look at Zeref right now.

"Alright. I'll be expecting your answer by the end of the week." Natsu could almost hear the smirk in his voice. Natsu ignored it, closed his eyes, and went to sleep. The next morning Natsu awoke to loud shouts echoing across the prison. He heard several people trying to break up what Natsu assumed to be a brawl.

"Wha's goin on?" Natsu asked, his voice laced with sleep. He flipped over, forgetting his earlier apprehension to look at Zeref after what he'd been told.

"Well, good morning sleeping beauty." Zeref said in the same teasing tone he had the night before. Natsu rolled his eyes and sat up. "So, how did you sleep. The bed is hard the first few nights. But eventually you get used to sleeping on a rock." Natsu yawned and stretched.

"Just how long's your sentence anyway?" Natsu asked. Zeref just gave him that playful smile, however Natsu could tell when someone thought he'd just asked the most obvious question in the world.

"I have a life sentence, obviously. 400 years to be exact, but it's not like I'll be around that long." He gave a quiet laugh. "If I'm on my best behavior my entire life then I might see the world one last time before I die."

"Well then, isn't that enough motivation?" Zeref just blinked at him. then he laughed.

"No. I don't think so. I plan to be as difficult as I can be without getting myself hurt." He said, smirking. "I honestly don't care. There's nothing out there for me. It's better in here." He paused his smile fading slightly. "At least here… I know there's nothing." His eyes traveled to Natsu's and locked themselves there. "At least I know I'm at rock bottom."

"But that's the good thing about rock bottom." Natsu gave him a little grin. "The only way left is up." Natsu pointed to the ceiling. Zeref nodded, his smile returning. Although Natsu saw how forced it was now.

"Yes." He said thoughtfully. "I suppose it is."

"And if you don't want to get out, then why suggest breaking out?" Natsu asked. Zeref stood up.

"I want it." He whispered. Zeref must've seen Natsu's confused look so he elaborated. "I want the world. It's right outside these walls made of iron. It's right there and I can't touch it. They got in the way of that dream."

"Who?"

"My parents. My friends… my girlfriend. They got in the way, so they had to go. No one can stand in my way. I must have it. They were my first victims." Natsu just stared, a new wave of dread creeping up within him. Zeref hadn't killed strangers. He'd killed people who he'd known all his life.

"How could you?" Natsu whispered, disgusted at the mere thought. A small smile crept up on Zeref's face again. he turned to Natsu.

"You know, I get that look a lot. But I don't care." His eyes narrowed. "I never truly liked any of them anyway. My mother was always gone, father also. My friends liked me because I did their homework. My girlfriend… she never truly loved me. You should've heard them. Begging for there lives like they actually mattered." He laughed merrily. "All living things die." He turned to Natsu. "Don't you agree?"

Natsu shook his head, dread in every crevice of his body. Was it even safe for him to be here? "That's the look they gave me. As if they wish I'd never been born. I don't really blame them for feeling like that honestly. I think it's good. If no one cares then it's a lot easier to not care yourself, don't you think?" words failed Natsu. "Do not look so shocked, Natsu. It's rather comical, and I am fairly certain this is no laughing matter. Besides, what's done is done. I can't return their lives. I can't make it alright. You're lucky really." This time, the sentence made Natsu angry.

"Lucky? You truly think I'm lucky? What the heck is wrong with you! I'm not lucky in the slightest!"

"That's what people think. They choose not to see the good of their situation. But once you've hit rock bottom, everyone's lucky now." Zeref said. "I envy you, truly. You have not murdered. No one stares at you like you're an alien. No one hates you… you have someone waiting for you on the other side of these iron bars." Natsu shook his head incredulously. How could Zeref be so insensitive? "Do you know how long it's been since I've spoken to another person? Years I think, years." Zeref sighed and dropped his gaze down to his hands. "Look, I know I'm crazy. People have been telling me this for years. I know I'm a monster. I know I'm a murdering, selfish, monster! I know." He whispered. "Every once in a while, I think about what things would've been like had I not stopped what I never felt… I try not to do that often, as I usually get depressed. but then I realize that it would not have been any better. Pretending to love my mother and father when I felt no such feelings. Pretending to like the friends that used me as their own personal calculator… and my girlfriend, who toyed with my feelings, made me love, and broke my heart. I was going to spare her, actually. I felt that we could rule the world together. I love her… and then I realize I'm wrong because… I don't know what love is. Say, if you could go back in time and change absolutely anything, what would you?"

"I would not have burned the building down, of course!" Natsu cried. "What about you?" Zeref turned to him, a small smile still adorning his features.

"I think I would've killed myself… no, that's not quite accurate. I would've stopped myself from being born at all." He said. And despite the smile, Natsu knew that Zeref was being completely sincere. Their conversation was interrupted when Natsu was taken out of his cell to go to the cafeteria with all the other prisoners. Zeref did not accompany them.

"Don't worry. As soon as we have just a little more room, we'll squeeze you in with somebody else." The officer said. "In fact, we're already going against protocol. Zeref isn't supposed to have much human contact." Natsu nodded stiffly. When Natsu got to the cafeteria he was surrounded by people. He winced at every loud noise and jumped with every crash. He didn't think his ears could survive for two years. Natsu sighed when he thought about having to do something so ludicrous. When Natsu finally got back to his cell he stared at Zeref for two seconds before saying,

"Let's do it." Zeref's smile widened and his eyes sparkled slightly. Natsu could almost pretend that Zeref was the child of the two of them. And if it weren't for the dark flicker of evil to pass through those sparkling eyes Natsu would've believed it.

"That sounds wonderful! I already have a plan of action. I've been working on such a strategy for quite some time." Zeref stood up and heaved his bed aside. There was a tiny hole in the cobble stone where Zeref pulled out a paper and a quill. "I've already drawn a map." Natsu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Number 1, how did you get paper and a quill down here? Number 2, how do you have a map of the place if you haven't talked to anyone in years? And haven't been out of your cell." Zeref's eyes flickered to Natsu's.

"Number 1, I have spies everywhere, even in the guard. Number 2, I said I haven't talked to anyone in years, not that they haven't talked to me." Natsu rolled his eyes at what could be considered, "cheap answers" at best.

"Whatever." He grumbled. Zeref smirked and rolled the map out. Everything was labeled clearly and overall Natsu was fairly impressed with the map. It had a rout marked in red ink. Natsu stared at it. "So, this is the rout we take to get out?"

"It seems you aren't all beauty after all." Natsu found that Zeref sounded strangely disappointed by the fact that Natsu actually had a brain. "Now, all we have to do is wait for the guards to make their rounds. We steal one of their keys and hop right out of here." Zeref smirked.

"You make it sound easy." Natsu said skeptically. Zeref's expression didn't change.

"Have you ever wondered perhaps, that it is not I that MAKE it sound easy, but that the task itself is rather simple." Natsu glowered at the fact Zeref had implied that Natsu was not smart enough to tell whether doing a task was hard or not.

"Shut up!" Natsu growled and crossed his arms. "Whatever, anyway, so we snatch the keys and leave once the guards are gone while taking this path?" Zeref nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! Wow aren't you so smart!" he exclaimed, patting Natsu on the head like he was some sort of puppy that had just learned a new trick. Natsu actually contemplated whether he should bite Zeref or not. He decided not to. "Come on this will be easy." Zeref said. "Don't look so worried. I promise… we'll get out of here." Zeref said his smile confident and his posture relaxed. Natsu's tense shoulders relaxed and he smiled and nodded, reassured by Zeref's overwhelming confidence in their plan.

So, they waited in silence for the right moment to arise. "I'm coming, Lucy." Natsu thought, ready to do whatever it took to be with her again. even commit the ultimate treason and escape what Natsu knew he deserved.

It was late at night when the guards did their final rounds. There was always one guard by their cell, but Natsu knew they could defeat him. they'd already snagged the keys from one of the oblivious guards. The one that was supposed to be watching them sounded dead to the world. Both boys decided that it was safe.

"Are you ready?" Zeref whispered. Natsu could only mutely nod. Zeref smiled reassuring. "It'll be okay." He said. Natsu hoped that he was right. The cell opened with a soft click and Natsu pushed it open. They'd done the whole, "stuff your pillows under your blankets thing". They wouldn't realize they were gone until the next morning. Natsu, feeling his heart race, was ready to put that stuffy jail cell behind him. he honestly didn't know how Zeref had lived in it so long. They followed the map taking the correct turns. "Here it is." Zeref said his eyes on the door.

"Shouldn't it say exit?" Zeref snorted.

"Why should it?" Natsu wasn't sure. So, he shrugged off the odd nagging in the back of his head that something was off and pushed the door open. The lights were bright, and it took Natsu several seconds to register that they were not outside but in another room. Not only that, but the room was full of guards. Natsu started to immediately panic. Had they taken a wrong turn? Natsu glanced at Zeref his heart beating so fast Natsu thought it might burst out of his chest. But Zeref still had that serene smile on his face. That was not what Natsu had been expecting. He'd expected Zeref to look terrified and panicked as he did. Natsu frowned slightly. The guards all turned to them. It took them a few seconds to register, but once they did they had their guns raised.

"ON YOUR KNEES!" one of them shouted. Natsu just stood there like a deer caught in headlights. Zeref laughed as he took out a gun. Natsu's eyes widened further. Where had Zeref gotten such a thing? He aimed it with that smirk on his face. "DROP THE GUN AND GET ON YOUR KNEES!" the same man shouted.

"My companion and I are trying to escape." Zeref said coolly. Natsu's head hurt, he didn't understand. "Now," Zeref shot one of the men in the head. "Let us go." Natsu heard the click of the gun even from across the room. The guard was going to shoot them! He turned frantically to Zeref. But Zeref's expression hadn't changed. Instead he looked at Natsu. Upon meeting his gaze Zeref's expression turned slightly sorrowful and he said, "Death is unavoidable." Then Natsu felt searing pain all over his body. He gasped and fell over, curling into himself, screaming. Everything hurt, everything seemed far away. Natsu's vision blurred.

"Why? I thought… you wanted… the world." He gasped. He turned his head slightly and his eyes contacted Zeref's. Zeref's eyes were duller than they'd ever have been. Blood covered him. Natsu felt so betrayed. Zeref had known. He had purposely led them this way because he knew that they were going to die! Zeref wanted to die. That was the only reasonable explanation. There was not any other reason as to why Zeref would be so unaffected by all the events that had happened. Natsu felt tears gather in his eyes. Why had he trusted Zeref? How could he have trusted someone who murdered his own family?

"This is the world. Death. Now I have it." Natsu gasped painfully. His vision was going black, but he had to try one more thing. One more thing to help Zeref see that what he did was wrong.

"You… promised… we'd escape." He whispered his hand going limp. This time Zeref gave him a small smile.

"We did."

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 **A/N Here we are, another chapter that's not a holiday special! This one made me tear up a little, the last lines get to me. Anyway, for this story I had pretty much always planned for it to end badly, but it originally it wasn't supposed to happen like this. At the very beginning I had one scenario where they escaped and lived happily-ever-after... yeah, that wasn't doing it for me. So, I decided next, that one of them escaped. Zeref, obviously, because Natsu's adorably gullible. Zeref betrayed Natsu and used him merely to escape, leaving Natsu to the police to either die, or get sent back to prison. But, in the end, they both died and I didn't like it, but I kept it because it tugged at my heart-strings. Anyway, I hope you like this and next time I update I'll have a holiday special for you! I think I'll do two because the one I'm updating literally has like, no plot, and is just for laughs and ridiculousness. So, I'll see you guys soon, as always, reviews/favorites/follows are always appreciated. Thank you guys who have read or supported this story, or both! Thank you so much. Bye!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail**

 **Summary: The war is at it's head. It's the make or break moment for our heroes. On the eve of Christmas the final battle commences. What will happen to our favorite characters?**

 **A/N At the beginning this was supposed to be a story with plot, but somewhere along the way... plot went out the window because I decided Christmas deserves happily-ever-afters for everybody! (Even evil wizards bent on destroying the planet)**

* * *

It was December 24th, Christmas eve. "We're losing." Mavis said quietly. The war with Alverez had been raging for many months. But now, as the dust settled it became evident that Fairytail was losing. Fiore had lost many troops and Alverez kept pushing. Their numbers dwindled thin and all hope seemed lost. No one knew whether they'd even be alive come dawn of December 25th. No one knew if this was their last day on earth, or if they would live to see Christmas day. "There's no way we can win. We've lost too many of ours." Fairytail did not like the sound of her words. It sounded like Mavis was giving up. And if their Fairy Tactician was giving up then the war was already lost.

"We can't give up!" Natsu cried. "It's Christmas the spirit of giving."

"Actually Natsu, that's Thanksgiving. Christmas is the time for miracles." Lucy corrected.

"Well, that makes more sense." Natsu said. "Anyway, it's the time of year where amazing miracles happen! We can't give up! Not when there's still a chance! We're Fairytail, and we will fight, and conquer, and live until our dying breath! We won't give up until the very end, until we die!"

"YEAH!" Fairytail cried.

"We're brave, and courageous, and we will do what heroes do! Battle the forces of evil and defend what we know is right until our glory outshines even the bright light of death!"

"YEAH!"

"We'll keep going even though this is probably the stupidest thing we've ever done!"

"YEAH!... wait…"

"So, let's get moving you idiots!" there was no uproarious YEAH, this time. Natsu gave a nervous chuckle. "Let's defend out country." He said.

"YEAH!"

"We'll triumph with or without our first!"

"YEAH!" they cried. And so, they left their guildhall with the spirit of Christmas in their hearts, and their will to triumph stronger than ever before.

"ZEREF! COME OUT AND FIGHT LIKE A REAL MAN!" Elfman cried.

"YEAH! Or are you too much of a real BOY!" Natsu cried. He and Elfman high-fived and said, "Burn!"

"You know guys, that isn't actually a burn… or an insult for that matter." Lucy said.

"COWARD! Letting your soldiers fight for you!" Erza snarled. Lucy jumped at the tone in her voice. She then, put her hands on her keys and prepared to use them.

"Come out here so I can ice ya!" Gray called. Lucy only wished they'd all stop provoking the guy who could, like an overpowered jerk, insta-kill them.

Suddenly each of them felt a dark aura arise in the air. It simply appeared, and it wasn't anywhere. It was everywhere. Lucy shivered from the cold of such dark magic. Natsu's flames only burned brighter in anticipation. Erza requiped into her Nakagami armor and readied her swords. Gray moved into position, and everyone else did as well. "Well, look at this merry gathering." A low voice filled the eerie silence.

"Show yourself!" Natsu screamed. Lucy could almost feel Zeref smirking.

"Open gate of the golden bull, Taurus!" Lucy screamed and cut her key through the air. Then, they waited for an attack.

Suddenly, Zeref came swirling out of the darkness. "Attack!" Natsu screamed. "Fire dragon's roar!" Natsu cried.

"Ice make, hammer!" Erza gave a slash of her sword. Lucy told Taurus to attack while getting out her whip. None of these attacks put even a scratch on Zeref.

He stood there like an overpowered jerk and let them tire themselves out. Even with mages like Gildarts helping, their attacks did nothing. "Are you done?" Zeref asked, with minor cockiness in his voice. Natsu growled and jumped to his feet with a look of utter defiance.

"NEVER!" He cried and started to punch Zeref again. Zeref sighed and let him at it.

"To be honest I hope you kill me." He said. "But alas, that is improbable. It is most likely that I will just have to spend another Christmas in the confinements of my room." Natsu paused for a second.

"You spend Christmas alone?" he asked quietly. Zeref nodded mutely.

"It is okay though, I am the most powerful wizard in the world after all, and utterly evil. It makes sense why no one would want to spend Christmas with me." He smiled sadly.

"But that's not fair!" Natsu cried. "Everyone deserves happiness at Christmas. It's the time of giving-."

"Miracles." Lucy interrupted.

"Miracles! Even great, evil wizards like you should have some place to go to for Christmas!" Natsu cried. "It's just not fair! Oh, great, I'm gonna cry now!"

"This is no time for crying!" Lucy shouted. "This is no time for a pity party either." She glared.

"B-but it's so sad." Erza said, her hand wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

"Not you too!" Lucy shrieked. This was just another thing she had to complain about. Fairytail's craziness knew no bounds. She sighed and looked around at everyone else. Mira was mumbling something about how Christmas was the holiday of love. "That's Valentines day!" Lucy cried. Zeref was mumbling something depressing, Elfman was screaming that holidays were manly and Natsu was crying because of how "sad" it was. Juvia was clinging to Gray who looked like he wanted to murder someone. Lucy took a few steps away from him. Gildarts was talking to Cana, who was trying to pretend she didn't know Gildarts, Jellal was trying to reason with Erza that Zeref was evil and that not having someone to spend Christmas with was hardly sad compared to other stories. Erza was shaking Jellal and screaming at him to be a man about it. Then Elfman grew depressed because someone stole his catchphrase, Happy was talking about how Lucy was fat, Makarov was trying to con Zeref out of his fortune. And Lucy… Lucy had gone insane.

"I have an idea! why doesn't Zeref spend Christmas with us! It'll be a great way for the war to end and all of us be on good terms!" Natsu cried. "And Zeref won't be depressed about his life! who's with me!" Mira agreed because to her, this was just another opportunity to get Zeref and Mavis together. Makarov agreed because that was more time for him to con Zeref out of his kingdom. Erza agreed because she was emotional like that. Jellal agreed because Erza threatened him. Elfman agreed because it was manly to celebrate holidays with other manly men. Happy agreed because he wanted to make She liiiiiiiikes you jokes. Gray didn't agree. Juvia didn't vote because she was torn between love and Gray. Cana agreed because Zeref was another drinking buddy (no one believed that would actually happen). Gildarts agreed because his daughter agreed. Lucy didn't vote because she was starting to question her sanity. Everyone in Fairytail was insane but… maybe Fairytail was normal and Lucy was the one who was insane. It was questions like those that caused Lucy not to vote.

"I didn't think the war would end up this way." Lucy said with a sigh. Then again, no one could've predicted this happy of an outcome. The other guild members shrugged and Happy made a crack about how Lucy was Loopy. "Get back here cat so I can kill you!" Lucy shrieked and ran after Happy.

"The children get along so well." Natsu said with a smile.

"You're one to talk." Gray grumbled.

"What did you say, you ice-freak?"

"I said you're one to talk, you flame brain!" then they smashed their foreheads together and started fighting. Lucy sighed and looked around. Sure, they were all crazy, but at least they were all crazy together. Lucy found herself smiling. Even though Natsu and Gray were about to rip each other's heads off. Erza was about to murder them. Jellal looked scarred for life. Mavis and Zeref were locked in a closet, curtesy of Mira. Juvia was clinging to Gray, somehow, as he battled Natsu. Makarov was still conning Zeref through the closet door. Happy was telling Lucy how crazy she was. Cana was drinking, Gildarts was breaking things. Elfman was screaming MAN! Because that was Fairytail. Even though everyone was crazy. Even though they all had dark pasts. They still smiled and laughed because they were all together.

"December 24th has been the most memorable day." Lucy said. "I don't think I've ever had a better Christmas."

"Yeah, probably because you're weird." Natsu said. Happy agreed.

"Don't turn your back on me!" Gray shouted. Natsu turned and glared at him.

"Shut up!" Natsu screamed and lunged for him. then they started trading blows again. Lucy sighed. the best Christmas and the craziest one.

"Will someone get me out of here?" Zeref asked, desperately pounding on the door.

"Don't you get tired of having that big castle? You know, if you gave it to me, you would be able to live in a nice little home with the wife and kids. Doesn't that sound better than an impersonalized castle with room to spare, and is so big it feels empty and institutional?" Makarov said. "All you would have to do is sign one little contract… and not read it, of course." Makarov added.

"Would you shut up? I'm trying to get out of here! How is it that the evilest, most powerful mage on Earth can't get out of one stupid little closet!" he cried. Well, in his defense it had been Mirajane to put him in there. So, it was understandable that he couldn't break it.

"Zeref, how did we get trapped in here in the first place?" Mavis asked.

"I don't know, but I want to sing carols and get drunk!" Zeref cried, pounding on the doorway. "Somebody let us out!" Zeref cried. "And didn't Mira say she was going to get the key! Why isn't she back yet?" Zeref cried. Mavis shrugged.

"Probably because Mira put you in there." Makarov said dryly. "Now if you would just sign away all of your fortu-." Makarov coughed. "I mean that stupid, big, empty, castle, then I can just slide the paper under the door with a pen? Yes?" Zeref didn't seem keen on negotiating when he was locked in a closet.

"Get me out of this thing and then we'll talk." Zeref said. Makarov sighed, knowing he would never get that fortune now, as he could not get Zeref out of that closet and go directly against Mira's wishes.

"Fine, have it your way." Makarov said and left out a huff.

"Come on everyone! Let's gather around in a circle and sing Kumbaya!" Natsu cried, motioning for everyone to gather round.

"Wait what about us?" Zeref cried.

"Hey, are we missing someone?" Lucy asked. Natsu looked around.

"Nope, now let's sing Kumbaya!" Lucy sighed but she didn't bother to point out that Zeref and Mavis were missing from the circle. Luckily, she didn't have to.

"We're missing Zeref and Mavis." Erza said. She glared at Mira. "I think I know where they are though." She added. Mira gave an innocent smile.

"Huh? Who cares!" Natsu cried. Erza glared at him and Natsu squeaked in fear. Natsu quickly got the key and unlocked the closet door.

"Finally!" Zeref said in exasperation. Natsu gave him a small grin and shrugged. Lucy thought it suspicious that Natsu didn't think anyone was missing from the circle, yet he could smell better than all of them combined.

"Alright, now that that unnecessary distraction, I mean, rescue mission." Natsu changed when Erza glared at him. "Is done, let's sing Kumbaya!" Natsu cried.

"Hang on kumbaya's a campfire song, shouldn't it be deck the halls or something like that?" someone in the back asked.

"Shut up, George." They all said.

* * *

 **A/N Alright, here it is. I told you there was like, almost no plot. So, how this chapter was made. I asked for my sister's advice because she's watched Fairytail too, so I asked her, "How do you want it to end? Do you want Fairytail to win, or Zeref?" and she responded,**

 **"Both." quite plainly. So I remember looking at her like, WHAT? That's not possible I can't make them both win until... this was born! So that's why at the beginning it's very serious and then just descends into madness.**

 **Another thing is that you might've noticed that I have used the individual "George" twice now. You might not remember the first time, but it was there. He is an OC that was created simply to say something that no one else wanted to say. For example,**

 **Erza: Cake is the most wonderful thing in the world.**

 **George: No, it isn't.**

 **Fairytail: O_O**

 **So, yeah, one more thing, I plan to update all my on-going stories today so keep an eye out for those. Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed this review/favorite/follow. As always thanks for reading, sorry for any mistakes, and I will see you soon... just as soon as I write a New Years special. *stares at screen as realization dawns that there was no New Years special written* so, I've gotta go correct this mistake! Bye!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail**

 **Summary: Zeref promised to join Natsu for New Years eve, though cancels because of work. However, Natsu suspects that something else might be afoot. (Plus he's just genuinely furious and wants to beat Zeref up.)**

* * *

In the dead of night, a house in the middle of town was dead silent. It was dark, not a single light on. Within the house sat a man with pink hair sprouting wildly from his head. He had his face buried in his hands, his shoulders hunched.

His brother, the one that had not come home for Thanksgiving or Christmas because he was working, promised to come for New Years because he had the day off. But apparently, Natsu should've learned by now that Zeref didn't keep his promises ever. Especially not when it came to Natsu.

Natsu had gotten Zeref's text a while back, telling Natsu that he wouldn't be able to make it because the company was making him work late. Yeah, right. Zeref would work late even if no one told him too. And he'd definitely do it to avoid being with Natsu. Especially when Natsu checked his phone and Zeref posted he was with his girlfriend. But Natsu didn't even bother pointing out his lie this time. He'd done it too many times and Zeref would just come up with another excuse… somehow. Natsu honestly didn't know how he found the time to do such things, but he did and he guessed that was what mattered.

Natsu had long-since stopped wondering why his brother tried to ignore him and get out of hanging out with him. Instead, Natsu called him, feeling angry, his brother was lying again, and Natsu wouldn't point out the fact that he'd lied… maybe, but he would give Zeref the chance to tell him the truth, even if Natsu knew that Zeref would not take his chance. "Hello?" the voice over the phone was quiet and confused. "Natsu, I told you I was at work. What if I had been doing something important and your call made my phone ring so loud that I messed up?"

"Zeref… where are you? You promised you were coming…"

"I know, little brother, it's just I have so much work to do here. I can't step away, not even for a second."

"Then why are you with Ultear?"

"… I don't know what you're talking about."

"ZEREF!" Natsu screamed, unable to put up with him anymore. "I know that you lied! I know that your with Ultear it says so right here on your social media page!"

"Natsu, you know those things glitch. That's not accurate. I'm here, at work."

"Promise?" Natsu asked, glaring at his TV.

"Promise." Zeref told him.

"Hey, honey, who're you talking to?" Natsu heard a voice.

"Ultear, shhh!" Zeref whispered, but Natsu, with his keen ears, heard exactly what Zeref had said.

"You lying piece of crap!" Natsu screamed, jumping up from his position. "I am coming over there, right now, and I'm going to beat that crap right out of you!"

"Natsu, wait-." But that was all Natsu heard before he hung up. He grabbed his coat and ran out to his car.

On the ride there, Natsu took more turns than he remembered ever taking, and for some reason, he'd never notice how dark a street Zeref's house was on. Finally, he parked and got out, slamming the door behind him. The car ride had helped him cool off a bit and Natsu did not think he would beat up his brother anymore, though he'd still think about it.

Natsu walked up to his house and knocked on the door, before waiting patiently for Zeref to come out. "Hey, Natsu…" Zeref said, opening the door. "You should go… Ultear and I are busy…" More lies. Ultear's car wasn't in the driveway, meaning she'd left.

"No! Zeref Dragneel you open that door and let me in or I'll break it open!" Zeref bit his lip and slowly opened the door, stepping aside. As soon as Natsu walked in, he tackled his brother to the floor. Seeing his face just served to make Natsu angrier. "Why do you keep lying to me, huh? Why don't you want to come over? What's so wrong with seeing me!"

"I-I… I'm sorry!" he cried, struggling. "I can't see you because… because…"

"Because?"

"Because…"

"I'm starting to think you're just stalling a massive beating."

"N-no… just, leave me alone, Natsu. Please…"

"No…" Natsu shook his head. "Tell me."

"I can't!" he burst into tears. Natsu slowly let go of him, getting off him. He grabbed Zeref's wrist and dragged him into a sitting position.

"Why not?" Natsu asked, softer this time.

"B-because…" Zeref said, wiping his tears quickly away. "I can't tell you."

"Yes you can." Natsu said softly, gently wiping the remainder of his brother's tears away. Zeref shook his head, whimpering slightly. "Come on, tell Natsu all about it."

Zeref had always had a very hard time trusting people. That's why he lied so much, so that he could break the other person's trust before that person had the time to betray him. "Come on Zeref, I'm your brother. If you can trust anybody, you can trust me." Natsu said.

"No, Natsu you don't understand!" Zeref cried. "I can't-." a knock at the door sounded, Zeref jumped what seemed like three feet in the air before throwing himself on Natsu, clinging to him, and shaking like a leaf. Zeref glanced up at Natsu and then started crying again.

Natsu looked down at Zeref and then glared at the door. Was this why Zeref was lying to him? Natsu didn't understand yet. "OPEN UP!" he heard someone yell. Natsu frowning, got up.

"I'm coming."

"N-no…" Zeref whispered, shaking his head.

"Zeref, who are these people?" Natsu asked. "Tell me or I'm opening that door."

"T-they're a gang, they want money… money that I don't have." Zeref whispered. Only then did the bruises become apparent to him.

"Zeref, hide. I'll deal with them." Natsu cracked his knuckles.

"N-Natsu, you don't understand. There's so many of them…"

"So? They've got to know what happens when someone messes with my family. What happens when someone makes my family so afraid they won't come see me because it means that I might get involved… and I certainly won't let them beat you up because that's my job."

"Natsu, I'm worried about you! I'm your older brother! Nothing's supposed to happen to you because I'm supposed to protect you!"

"I know, and you will. I mean, I'm not going to get hurt. I know you've never been much of a fighter, and if these guys think that it's okay to gang up on someone then they're obviously not so tough."  
"No, Natsu." Zeref said harshly. "I've taken several self-defense classes. They've still gotten me, several times. These guys are no amateurs."

"I don't care. They hurt you… so now they're gonna hurt!"

Zeref didn't think that really made sense, but he dismissed it. "Natsu, stop…" Zeref whispered. "Please don't… I don't want you to get hurt, and they might even kill you if you get in their way. Please, Natsu."

Natsu smiled slightly, "Go, hide. I took several martial arts, heck I was the best fighter in high school. I wasn't scared of nobody! And they all knew not to mess with me!"

"That is not true. What about Gray-."

"He was different, I never got serious."

"- and Laxus-."

"I only lost one time!"

"-That's because you only challenged him one time."

"Yeah, well-!"

"- and Gildarts-"

"-But he's a teacher-!"

"-and Erza…" Natsu paused, blinking and finally shuddered.

"Alright, I'll give you that one. She was freaking scary." Zeref nodded in agreement. "But she was the only one!"

"If you say so, little brother." Zeref said amusedly.

"Open up!"  
"I'm not going anywhere." Zeref said seriously. Natsu glanced at him, sighed, and then nodded, not bothering to argue because his older brother was even more stubborn than he was.

"Alright." Natsu said, walking over to the door and opening it. The guy had been about to pound on the door again so he ended up punching Natsu's forehead instead of the door. "Ouch!" Natsu cried, falling to the ground, rubbing his forehead. "What was that for."

"Oops, sorry… wait, who're you?" he asked, clenching his fists.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel, Zeref's big brother." Now that Natsu was looking at him it appeared Zeref lied again. There was only one, and he wasn't even armed.

"Natsu! I-!"

"I didn't say older, I said bigger. And it's true. I'm like, 3 inches taller than you!"

"Are not, you're barely 2!"

"Potayto-Potahto." Natsu said, shrugging. Zeref glared at him for a moment before turning to the man in his living room.

"Look, I don't have the money, I'm sorry… I'll have it for you in a few days if you just give me some more ti-."

"You're out of time, Dragneel. We've been giving you an extension for two weeks. Now, we want that million dollars."

"I-I…"

"I know you have it! It's not a hard proposition. You stole a million dollars from us. You spent some of it, but not all of it. It's not an impossible task, all we want is what we're owed, what was stolen from us."

"You stole from them?" Natsu asked incredulously.

"Well… well I…" Zeref glanced sheepishly at Natsu.

"That was hard-earned money!"

"Yeah!" Natsu started, "But that doesn't give you the right to beat him up!"

"How dare you make such an accusation! If I wanted to beat him up I'd of done it the first time he failed to give the money on time." Natsu was silent for a long time before turning to Zeref,

"You lied to me." He said.

"Yeah well, it wasn't hard." Zeref muttered.

"So that you could get out of paying him back."

"Yeah, you're lucky I didn't call the cops on you, kid."

"The hell's your problem!" Natsu growled, grabbing Zeref's shoulders. "If he didn't beat you up, then how'd you get those bruises… I wouldn't be surprised if you beat yourself up so that if anyone asks where you got them you can blames some poor innocent person!"

"Natsu…"

"You want to get beat up? Oh, I'll beat you up!" Natsu lunged at him. Zeref went into a self-defense position, easily immobilizing Natsu by grabbing his arm and locking using his momentum to twist him around. Natsu felt himself slammed up against the wall, his brother's knee on his back.

"Oh yes, I suppose I left one person out of our little list of people who can beat you. You never could win, could you?" Natsu growled, struggling. After a while of struggling Natsu threw dignity out the window, looking behind him at Zeref,

"Zeref!... Zeref, your hurting me." Natsu gave the puppy eyes. Zeref hesitated slightly before releasing him. Natsu turned around and instantly tackled him, pinning his brother's hands above his head and twisting him around. Their weight brought them down so Zeref landed face-first on the floor. "And you seem to forget I'd turn around and tackle you. Because every time the puppy-dog eyes work."

Zeref struggled, though not hard. Zeref knew this position well and therefore knew he would not be able to break out of it. "Say you're sorry."

"I'm sorry Natsu…" Zeref said.

"No, not to me, to him!" Natsu shouted. He reached in front and grabbed Zeref's face, squishing his cheeks together and forced him to look at the mildly disturbed man, standing in the living room.

"Sorry." Zeref said.

"And you're going to pay him back! How much left does he owe?" Natsu asked.

"Uh… you know, it's really not that much, I could just go…" the man said.

"How much!" Natsu demanded.

"… 100,000." Natsu's mouth dropped open.

"W-wait, I got 20,000 of that." Zeref said weakly.

"Oh did you now?" Natsu asked, "Well that's still 70,000 dollars you owe!"

"Actually, it's 80,000." Zeref corrected.

"Even worse!" Natsu paused. "How could you not tell me? You lie to everyone, why is that?"

"No one deserves my trust. They'll just break it." Natsu bit his lip, glaring,

"Well, you need to get over that. So, after I punish you we're going to play the trust game." Natsu looked up at the man. "I'm so sorry for my brother. We will have that money at the end of the week, I promise."

"… Alright." The man said. "I'll trust you to keep your promise. Okay, I'll be back early Sunday morning."

"Yes sir. We will have the money by then."

Then, the man left, sending worried looks at the two of them. After he was gone, Natsu shot his brother a look that could kill. "Alright, now for your punishment we're going to play your favorite game."

"My… my favorite game?" Zeref asked cautiously (his favorite game was truth or dare because he got to screw people over.)

"Yep, you're _favorite_ game." Natsu said smirking.

"Oh, that favorite game…" Zeref said. "Oh no…"

"Oh, yes." Natsu said, grabbing Zeref's finger and bending it backwards.

"Ah, ow! Mercy!" Zeref cried. Zeref's _favorite_ game was Natsu's version of Mercy, which is when they played Mercy… without the mercy part.

"Ah, Zeref, you know that no matter how much you beg I won't stop until I feel like it." Natsu said.

"Natsu!"

After about 30 minutes and Zeref with several twisted fingers. Natsu stopped and let go. "Hey, you'd always rub my fingers after." Zeref said. Natsu rolled his eyes and hopped up from the floor. "What are you doing?" Zeref asked, suspecting he was not going to like Natsu's answer.

"Next, we're going to play trust."

"Fine…" Zeref grumbled.

"And you're going to be blinded."

"This is not how I wanted to spend new years."

"Too bad." Natsu shrugged. "Do you have a blindfold anywhere?"

"Of course I do, I'm not stupid." Zeref said, going to his bedroom and grabbing a blue blindfold off the dresser. He returned with it, holding it out to Natsu.

His little brother grabbed it and tied it around his face. "Alright, there we go. Now then, every time you trust me you get a reward."

"What's the reward?"  
"… something painful doesn't happen."

"Oh…well then, it'll be easy to trust you… unless the game's already started. What if your lying to me and it's the opposite of what you say, what if, I trust you and then something painful happens! And what if I don't trust you and nothing happens… or what if no matter what I do, something painful happens! What if your lying about the painful part… what if nothing happens. What if it doesn't matter what I do…" Natsu could tell what Zeref was thinking.

"No, do not lie or try to trick me out of it. Lying to me and playing dirty will get you the worst punishment of all."

"… Mercy without mercy?"

"You know me well… now then, come over here." He placed Zeref in the kitchen. Alright now all you have to do is make it to me. I'm going to give you directions and you're going to follow them, alright? Pretty simple?" Zeref nodded.

"Alright, then come on, just walk straight." Zeref slowly walked straight. "Now take a left." Natsu said as Zeref drew nearer to a chair in his path. Zeref ignored him and turned right, knocking into the wall. "Uh… your other left."

"Oh… sorry, I didn't realize."

Natsu growled under his breath. More lies. "Alright, turn left." Zeref didn't listen to him again and kept backing into things and tripping over things. "Zeref! If you would just listen! I'm not lying to you! I'm not a liar like you are!"

"Natsu, I can't." Zeref said, reaching to take the blindfold off.

"You do that and we're playing Mercy without mercy!" Zeref ignored him took off the blindfold and stared straight into Natsu's eyes,

"Not if you can't catch me." Zeref said and then took off. Natsu didn't even know why he tried, Zeref was beyond saving, but he did so anyway.

"ZEREF!" Natsu cried, running as fast as he could. He grabbed the back of Zeref's shirt and slammed him against the wall. Zeref started coughing, struggling. "The hell is wrong with you?"

"I… I just can't, Natsu. Can't trust anyone, you knew what happened…"

"I know she left you… I know she told you she'd be right back and she never came back. I know because I held you as you blubbered to me about how much you loved her. But you know what else? It's not her fault she died. She couldn't control that. And no matter how much you want to, you couldn't control it either."

"She never came back…" he whispered.

"I know." Natsu said. "I know it hurts. But you gotta move on Zeref. It's been years…"

"B-but I can't-!"

"I know. I guess it's not time yet." Natsu plopped down on the floor, setting Zeref next to him. "But she's up there. And she wouldn't want you to be sad because of something unavoidable."

"But it was! I could've done something!"  
"There's nothing you could've done."

"But I loved her…" Zeref whispered.

"Everybody loves somebody… but only sometimes that love survives."

"What about you Natsu. You haven't found anybody since Lucy dumped you in high school." Natsu winced, glaring at him. Zeref smiled somewhat mischievously,

"I know it hurts. But you gotta move on Natsu. It's been years…"

"DON'T use my own words against me." Zeref shrugged.

"It's what I'm best at."

"… You know, I don't need anybody else in my life. You're quite enough work." Zeref pouted slightly as Natsu ruffled his hair and stood. "Alright, I don't know about you, but I wanna watch the count down." Natsu said. He walked into the living room and turned on the TV. It was only 5 minutes until the countdown.

"Natsu… I'm sorry about how much I've been lying to you." Zeref said, glancing up at him. Natsu knew this was probably a lie also, but he did not comment on it.

"Thanks, Zeref."

"… Now you're supposed to say you're sorry for hitting me."

"Oh yes, I'm supposed to say it, and I could say it, but I'm not gonna. Because I'm not sorry. It would be a lie. And you already lie enough for everyone on the planet." Zeref rolled his eyes.

"59, 58, 57, 56," everyone on the TV started counting down.

"Natsu, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you hate me?" Zeref asked. Natsu was silent, staring at the countdown.

"Can I say zero?"

"Um… no?"

"Then one, I guess."

"I see… Natsu…" Natsu turned to him, "… Nothing." Zeref said finally, looking away. Natsu shrugged but heard Zeref mumble into Natsu's shoulder, "I love you, younger brother."

"Zeref," Zeref jumped and looked at him,

"Yeah?"

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5,"

"I love you too little brother." Natsu said. Zeref smiled softly,

"4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year." Natsu said, taking Zeref's hand and rubbing his bruising fingers.

"Yeah, Happy New Year… hang on…" Zeref seemed to realize exactly what Natsu had said, "I'm the big brother!" Natsu snorted,

"Come back when you're not lying."

* * *

 **A/N It's New Years today where I am, so here's the special that I wrote this week. I hope you enjoyed it. In the beginning Zeref really was supposed to be getting bullied by a gang but somehow Zeref lying to Natsu to protect him from getting involved turned into Zeref being a compulsive liar. (And just so we're clear, he did give himself those bruises) and the girl who Zeref is talking about can be any girl (besides Ultear) I imagine Mavis because I ship them, but it can be anybody. Thanks for reading reviews/favorites/follows are all motivating. I'll see you next time, bye!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail**

 **Summary: Natsu has been acting out a lot so his parents decide to send him to boarding school. Natsu thinks this is going to suck, but meeting a strange, quiet boy on the bus might just change his mind.**

* * *

"Natsu, this is for the best. You've been acting out so much lately. We believe this could be good for you. Who knows who you'll meet? Who you'll become friends with? You might even find a significant other."

"Yeah, that's all nice and swell for CAMP maybe, but boarding school! Mom, dad, you can't be serious!" Natsu cried. His eyes alight with rage. "The only people that are going to be there will either be stuck up, stupid, or somewhere in between! You can't do this to me!" Natsu screamed and ran out of the house. He knew what he was doing seemed childish. But honestly, he was a freshman in high school, he was ready to face the year, make new friends, blow off homework, and do teenage boy stuff. And now, he was going to go to a school for four years, where everyone was rich and snobby and going to think he was some sort of rebel just because he had pink hair! And for their information, it was salmon! And, it was his natural hair color, but how was he going to explain that to them?

Two weeks later Natsu was boarding the train that would take him to the very school he had no interest in going to. His parents smiled encouragingly at him. all Natsu did was scowl. "See ya." He grumbled under his breath and marched angrily up the steps. There were several other boys who had the same uniform as him. they all eyed him as he walked down the aisle. "Is this seat taken?" he asked one of the boys. The boys' eyes traveled from his face to his feet. Finally, he said,

"Yeah, this seat has been officially reserved for my bag." The boy said and placed his bag on the seat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know this was the jerk aisle." Natsu growled and moved on. The boy stared after him, appalled by what he had just been called. Or more importantly what his bag had just been called. Natsu got several aisles where the answer was just as rude if not ruder than the first boys. Natsu was starting to give up hope when he spotted one more dark-haired boy in the very back of the car. "Hey, is this seat taken?" Natsu asked. he hoped it was a no because the train was about to leave. Not many people knew this, but Natsu got extreme motion sickness. He hoped the boy wasn't rude about that and either taunted him or looked extremely grossed-out like most people inevitably did.

"No." the boy said quietly. He didn't even turn to look at Natsu. He deemed that probably the rudest anyone had been to him. but at least he could sit there. Natsu already disliked this boy and he hadn't even seen his face yet. All the guy was doing was staring out the window like some creep. Natsu frowned and settled back in his seat, prepared to be miserable for the time being.

Once the train started moving Natsu groaned and laid his head back on the seat, taking deep breaths. He felt the train lurch and doubled over. He quickly took out paper bag from his carrier. "Hey, I hope you don't mind the smell." Natsu said after he was finished, a small grin on his face. The guy didn't even look at him. he seemed to be intent on ignoring Natsu. "You know, you're really rude." Natsu said, crossing his arms with a scowl. The boy once again did not turn toward him. "Look, I know that you might not be very happy that you're going to boarding school, but I'm not ignoring you." Natsu added unhappily.

"Just leave me alone." the boy whispered quietly. Natsu growled and then a groan. Natsu leaned back again. he would yell at the boy once the train had stopped so he could actually talk without feeling nauseated.

They were on the train for hours before it finally came to a stop. Natsu leaned forward, feeling instantly better to look out the window. He could see a huge building. Slowly everyone started to pile out of the train. Natsu didn't even try to crane his neck so he could see the boy he'd been sitting next to the entire time he was on the train. He didn't even want to know who that rude boy was.

"Welcome, to Fairytail Boarding School." The woman on the top said. She had a sweet smile and seemed nice. "My name is Mirajane Strauss, and I'll tell you right now that it is a pleasure to have all of you join us." She said with a huge smile. Natsu sighed. if all the teachers were like her this was going to be a long four years of his life. "Now you will all get your 6 other uniforms at the principals office." She stepped out of the way and a short little man came out.

"Good day, my name is Makarov Dreyer, but you can call me Mr. Makarov." He said grinning. Yep, a very, very long year.

"Please follow me." Mira said as she turned around. She and principal Makarov led the way. Natsu noticed that there were about 10 other students besides himself. They all had either black or brown hair. Natsu felt rather out of place among all of them. Maybe his parents and all the stereotypes were right. Maybe he was just a delinquent. "And this is the principals office, as you can see." Mira gestured to the sign on the door. They all nodded. "And here are the dorms." She said as they continued walking. Soon they were all standing outside the principals office ready to get their uniforms. Apparently, classes started the next day.

"And what's your name?" Makarov asked. Natsu almost rolled his eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that the principal already knew his name.

"Natsu Dragneel." Was what Natsu said instead of glaring like he wanted to. Makarov nodded and handed him his uniform and room number. "Your roommate's name is Zeref…" the principal squinted at some forms on his desk. "Hm… that's odd, it doesn't say his last name." Makarov shrugged and waved goodbye. Natsu gave him a small smile before turning around and rolling his eyes. Natsu glanced at the room number. 125. Natsu sighed and started wandering around the school. "Hey, excuse me." The boy with black hair turned to him. "Do you know where room 125 is." Much like the ones on the train this boy eyed him up and down.

"So… you new here? I've never seen you before and I think that I would have noticed you." Natsu frowned. He didn't like this guy already. "My name's Gray Fullbuster. Yours?"

"… Natsu. Natsu Dragneel." They shook hands.

"As for your room, that would be this way." Gray said. They started walking down the halls together. "So, you a freshman?" Natsu nodded.

"What're you?"

"I'm a sophomore." Gray said. "Don't worry, you'll catch up someday." Gray patted him on the head like some kind of child. Natsu glared. "Maybe." He added.

"Just you wait. I'll be five feet taller than you soon enough." Natsu growled. Gray laughed. That was when Natsu decided that Gray was his rival and Natsu was going to try his best to beat him in everything.

"Yeah, sure you will, pinky."

"IT'S SALMON!" Natsu cried. Gray only smirked.

"Here is." He said, gesturing to the room marked 125.

"Oh… good, thanks I guess." Natsu said.

"You guess?" Gray raised one perfect eyebrow. Natsu rolled his eyes and unlocked the room with his key. "Well, see ya." Gray added, waving. Natsu hesitated for a few seconds before whipping back around.

"Wait!" he said urgently.

"Yeah?"

"Um… do you know anything about… Zeref? He's supposed to be my roommate and I don't know his last name… neither did the principal, which I find kind of weird… or is that common or something?" Natsu asked.

"Uh…" Gray hesitated. "I don't know much about him. there're rumors that go around. They say his family's cursed and has been bringing the school bad luck. But that's just people trying to blame someone else with problems that they don't want to admit are their own fault… I think. I mean, it could be true. People that hang around him and his family are unlucky. But that's only if you believe in superstition and curses. Which, I don't so it doesn't really matter to me. They do say he ignores everyone and I've seen that in action. Just don't bother him I guess. Anyway, bye." Gray said and walked away before Natsu could ask any more questions.

Natsu frowned. Despite what Gray had said it was obvious he was uncomfortable talking about this Zeref guy. From what Natsu could tell he tried to play it off as cool but Natsu could tell that Gray didn't like whoever Natsu's roommate was. Natsu gulped and turned the knob. When Natsu opened the door there was another kid, sitting on the bed furthest from the door. He wasn't facing Natsu and he could tell from the back of his head that this was the kid he'd sat next to on the train. "Um… Hello?" finally the guy turned to look at him. Natsu was surprised to see that Zeref wasn't as scary as Natsu had been picturing him. Despite the sort of blank look, he wore on his face, Zeref looked like a completely ordinary kid. Even more ordinary then Natsu looked himself.

"Good evening." Zeref's voice was quiet. Natsu had to strain to hear him. "You're Dragneel-san, right?"

"Just call me Natsu." Natsu said, a little uncomfortable with how formal Zeref was. Zeref had black hair like almost every other student in the school. What Natsu did fine unnatural was how big and black Zeref's eyes were. At first glance those eyes would seem innocent but if he looked longer then he could see darkness and intelligence. He bit his lip. "And you must be Zeref." Zeref didn't comment on Natsu's lack of respect. "Also, you're the guy on the train. The rude one."

"I apologize. I did not mean to seem rude I was just… thinking." Zeref said quietly. Natsu scowled.

"… Alright. I guess I'll let it slide." Natsu said, crossing his arms and flopping on his bed. Zeref blinked and turned back to the window. Staring out of windows seemed to be the guys favorite thing to do. Natsu decided to close his eyes and drop his bag next to his bed. he heard Zeref shuffling around occasionally.

The next morning, they got up and got dressed. And walked to breakfast together. It made sense since they were both going the same way anyway. When they got to the kitchen they each got trays and stood in line to get their food. Natsu piled pretty much everything that would fit on to his tray. Natsu noticed that Zeref got an apple and a breakfast sandwich. Natsu knew that if that was all he got until lunch Natsu would be starving. But, he supposed that not all boys needed to eat like he did. Maybe Zeref didn't do a lot of sports and therefore didn't need much food. Zeref didn't seem like the type to play a lot of sports anyway. Natsu had just spotted an empty table when he heard his name called. Natsu turned to look at Gray who was motioning him over. Natsu exchanged a look in Zeref's direction but did a double take when he realized Zeref wasn't beside him anymore. The guy had a way of simply disappearing. With no one to choose between Natsu walked over to Gray. "Morning Natsu! This is Loke, Jellal, Gajeel, and Alzack." As Natsu peered around the table he saw that maybe not ALL the boys had black or brown hair. This table was filled with different people. Out of all of them, Gray and Alzack looked the most normal. Gajeel had piercings all over his face, Jellal had blue hair and an odd red tattoo, and Loke had ginger hair and was wearing sun glasses indoors. This group seemed like his type of group. Natsu had the feeling that he and Gajeel would become the best of friends. He looked like the trouble-maker of the group.

"Hey guys." Natsu said, waving. "I guess Gray already said my name, but I'll introduce myself anyway. My name's Natsu Dragneel."

"Gajeel Redfox."

"Jellal Fernandes."

"Alzack Connell."

"Loke Regulus." They all introduced themselves. Natsu grinned and waved.

"Nice to meet you." He said and sat next to the one named Jellal. Jellal reminded Natsu a bit of Zeref because of the quiet, calm voice he used. Although, his voice carried so Natsu had no trouble hearing him.

After eating Natsu went to his first class. He didn't remember much of it, mainly because he fell asleep half way through. He did notice Zeref in the back, sitting straight and staring out the window. Yet, he somehow knew the answer when the teacher called on him, despite the fact that it appeared he wasn't paying attention. His right answer gave the teacher pause as well but he quickly continued as if by talking faster would hide the fact that he'd been surprised.

"Yeah, you should avoid Zeref as much as you can." Loke told him at lunch when Natsu asked about Zeref. They'd all looked at him, surprised and asked why Natsu would want to know about him. that was when Natsu explained that Zeref was his roommate. "He's bad luck you know."

"Oh, come on guys, you don't seriously believe that, do you?" Gray asked with a teasing smile.

"Don't pretend as if you're above the rumors Gray. We all know that you despise him." Jellal said quietly. Gray gave him a warning glare but either Jellal didn't see it or he was not affected by it. Either way his facial expression didn't change.

"Why?" Natsu asked once he noticed that he was the only one at the table left out of the loop.

"My mother passed away because of Zeref." Natsu raised an eyebrow, unsure if he should believe Gray. After all, how could Zeref possibly be the cause?

"Zeref's father killed her." Jellal explained, looking at Natsu. "Because Zeref told him to."

"WHAT?" Natsu cried. Was he sleeping in the same room as a murderer?

"That's another rumor, but some students say they heard the two of them plotting together. Zeref's father was a teacher here before he was convicted. Plenty of people say that Zeref was in on it too, but to this day there's no evidence whatsoever. Still, it's pretty easy to imagine that he's plotting murder since he never talks to anyone. He just creeps people out, it's possible that's why people are out to get him. after all, most people who said that Zeref was also guilty were people who'd had bad luck associated with him. and all the people who weren't, were their friends."

"So… people think Zeref's a murderer… because they had bad luck when he was around?" Natsu asked, astounded.

"Well, it is a pretty big coincidence." Loke said with a shrug. Natsu rolled his eyes and settled back in his chair. People just didn't know when to quit. No wonder Zeref was so quiet. If he said anything people would start accusing him of all the murder that happened in the world.

"Do you guys think that?" he finally asked. all of them were silent, looking at each other.

"Maybe not, but he still has that depressing aura. Regardless of whether he was involved in murder or not I don't like him." Jellal said, his eyes flickering up to Natsu's.

"Well I'm going to go find him." Natsu said, standing up from his chair. He scanned the area and at last found Zeref, sitting in a corner in the far right of the room, his eyes glued to the window. Natsu walked over to him quickly, despite his new friends protests. Natsu tapped Zeref on the shoulder. Big black eyes flickered upwards. "Hey, how ya doin?"

"I'm doing well, thank you for asking Dragneel-san."

"Didn't I tell you to call me Natsu." Zeref just stared at him, blinking occasionally. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to sit at our table." Natsu said, grinning. His friends from across the room obviously heard this and were staring at him like, what the heck?

"That's a kind offer, but an unnecessary gesture." Again, Natsu was straining to hear his responses.

"It's not an offer." Natsu said, staring Zeref down with his sharp eyes. Zeref leveled him with a blank stare, as if he didn't comprehend what Natsu was implying. So, Zeref turned his back on Natsu and stared out the window once more. Natsu, now mad, glared at the back of Zeref's head. The mature thing to do would be just to excuse himself and walk back to his table. Natsu took a deep breath and let it out. Then he promptly grabbed Zeref's plate and dumped it on the boy's head. Zeref let out a surprised squeak, the most human reaction Natsu had gotten from him, turned around, and stared at Natsu's smirk with a shocked gaze. Everyone else was too. The noise had been surprisingly feminine and was practically unheard of in the school. The only other time a boy had made such a noise was when one had knocked over Ms. Scarlet's cake. "I see your not ignoring me now." Zeref's large black eyes filled with tears. Natsu, who had been expecting anger, panicked and went to go tell the teacher. When he turned around however he felt something freezing stuffed up his shirt. This time it was Natsu's turn to shriek. His friends had been watching this exchange. Surprisingly the first student to come out of his stupor was Jellal, who stood up and yelled,

"FOOD FIGHT!" and then smash his plate on to Gajeel's head. Gajeel took his own spoon and flung some food at Jellal. Jellal however, dodged and it hit Gray instead. Soon food was being flung back and forth across the room. Mira was panicking and trying to tell everyone to stop and get back in their seats. Makarov looked amused and Erza was yelling about how this was a prestigious school.

Natsu turned around and gave Zeref the most wide-eyed stare he could manage. Zeref was smirking at him. "You are one of the most interesting characters I have ever met." Zeref told him. Natsu blinked, surprised.

"Really?" he asked, unconvinced. Zeref nodded a small, innocent smile on his face. "Cool!" Natsu cried, pumping his arm up in the air. Zeref then, scooped up the mashed potatoes from his head and smashed it into Natsu's face. "Aw…" Natsu whined. "What was that for? I just took a bath too."

"Payback." Zeref whispered quietly. The food fight continued for several more minutes. It was all fun and games until Erza got hit with flying food. The entire room froze as Erza stood there with the most terrifying look on her face.

"Who started this?" she asked in a barely controlled voice. Everyone pointed at Natsu and Zeref. "OFFICE, NOW!" She shrieked at them. They both hurried out of the cafeteria. All Natsu could do was hope that he would survive the next four years at this school.

"Thank you." Zeref said quietly as they walked to the principal's office. Natsu raised an eyebrow. "No one's talked to me in quite a long time. I was beginning to forget what human interaction felt like."

Natsu found that strange but didn't comment on that as he smiled. "Yeah well, stop ignoring me and we could do more than have human interaction." Zeref blinked.

"What do you mean?" he whispered.

"I mean we could be friends." Zeref frowned.

"Friends." He murmured looking thoughtful.

"Or more than friends." Natsu said suggestively, winking. Zeref leveled him with another blank stare. "You know what I mean." He said, smirking. Then Natsu thought about it. "You do know what I mean, right?" Zeref blinked. "You know… like dating? Or… do you not…" Natsu trailed off.

"I do believe I know what you're talking about. And I could go either way. I just haven't really thought about that."

"Yeah well… if we survive this what do you think about going out some time. It doesn't have to be a date, we could just… hang out. Outside of school I mean." Zeref nodded slowly.

"I believe I could come to enjoy that. As for dating… perhaps one day." They walked through the halls to the principal's office. Makarov was looking sternly at them.

"What you boys did today was unacceptable." Makarov said. "… however, I'll let it slide this once." They both looked confused. "Don't tell Ms. Strauss or Ms. Scarlet, but that was the most fun this school has been in years. Don't tell either of them about this." Makarov said. It was clear by his slightly pale face that if either woman found out that Makarov had let them off the hook all three of them wouldn't live to see daylight. They nodded seriously, and Makarov leaned back in his chair.

"So, I'm going to introduce you to my friends."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." Zeref said.

"Lighten up." Natsu said seriously. "Here, you can hold my hand." Natsu said.

"The invitation is not necessary." Zeref said quickly. Natsu looked at him seriously.

"It's not an invitation." Natsu said plainly. Zeref blinked, sighed, and took Natsu's hand. They got odd looks but neither Natsu nor Zeref seemed to care. They had both gotten used to being stared at. And Natsu had decided that this boarding school thing wasn't so bad. Especially since his future boyfriend was attending it. Zeref might think that the whole dating thing was an if, but Natsu had already decided. And once Natsu decided on something there was no one that could tell him otherwise. And Natsu decided that the four years at this school might be the longest of his life, but they were going to be the best years of his life. And they were.

* * *

 **A/N You guys probably thought I forgot about this since it's been almost a month since it was last updated! But no, and I prove that by posting a chapter! Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed it. Unfortunately this probably won't be updated again any time soon since life is really busy (also multi-chapters take up a lot of my time.) But hopefully it will be updated some time next month. I'll be giving you a special one on February 14th *wink wink* you guys will love it I guarantee. So, anyway reviews/follows/favorites are all appreciated! Now please enjoy the rest of your day! Bye!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref, the greatest wizard in all the land!... is sick. He doesn't know how, he doesn't know why, but his immortal body that can cure every injury in half a second... is susceptible to the common cold. Natsu, who is alone for the evening, happens across the dark wizard, passed out by a tree... what will happen next?**

* * *

"I honestly didn't know this was possible." Zeref said, opening his eyes. It was early morning and not even the forest was awake yet. "This must be the most annoying thing I've ever had to deal with." He mumbled to himself, slowly he readjusted himself on his tree. Such movement made his body hurt. And why was his face wet? Why was he wet? "Oh…" he realized, looking up at the cloudy sky. "It's raining." He supposed he should've guessed such a thing. After all it was blatantly obvious. Why else would he be wet? It wasn't like he made a habit of sleeping in the river. Zeref let out a moan and brought his hand to his head. He had a severe headache, which should be impossible. He was immortal, wasn't he? That meant his immune system should be much less susceptible to illness. Unfortunately, he supposed that didn't mean he was immune, as was obvious since he felt sick. It had been hundreds of years since he had last been ill, but he remembered feeling similar discomfort. Zeref didn't know how ordinary humans dealt with it year after year. Zeref sighed, lying out in the rain was what probably got him sick in the first place. But he didn't have anywhere else to go. So, he closed his eyes. Whether he passed out or just fell asleep, Zeref did not remember.

Natsu was coming home from a mission. Happy wasn't with him because he'd decided to stay with Wendy and Carla, the traitor. So, Natsu was alone tonight. He would stay with Lucy, except she and Erza were having a sleepover for a reason Natsu would rather not know. He could still go to her apartment, break in, eat her food, but it seemed rather pointless since either way he'd be alone. he didn't go to Gray's house for obvious reasons, but surprisingly, it had to do more with the fact that Juvia would be under his bed, rather than the fact they were rivals. And that's how he ended up running into… well, Natsu didn't remember his name but he did remember who he was… a little. Natsu didn't know how long he stood there, merely observing him, but it had to be at least a few minutes. But what was the black mage doing, sleeping in the rain? Wasn't he supposed to be like, a genius? Well, Natsu knew one thing. The longer he stood out in the rain, the harder the rain came down, the wetter he got. "Hello?" Natsu asked cautiously, wondering if the mage was truly asleep. "Hello?" he asked a little louder. "HELLO?" Natsu shouted at him. still, the "sleeping" mage did not open his eyes. Natsu bit his lip. Maybe he should just leave. Natsu reasoned that he had every right to. So, what if he caught pneumonia and died? Good riddance, right? Only, Natsu would feel like a horrible human being if he did that. Surely even this guy didn't deserve to die in the rain, cold and wet, right? He wasn't sure many people would agree with him, but Natsu had never really cared if someone's opinion happened to conflict with his.

And that was why Natsu suddenly found himself carrying the black mage to his house. He was a little too light in Natsu's opinion. Almost like he was hollow. It was an unsettling weight on his back. It wouldn't feel so bad if he was simply light, but it wasn't like that. It was like he was empty, and that thought unnerved Natsu enough to get him rethinking his earlier, albeit, reckless decision. Natsu kicked open his door with no respect for the wood at all. Why would he treat his own door with respect if he treated no other? That didn't make sense in Natsu's opinion, though, thinking about respecting doors in the first probably didn't make sense. Natsu waded through the sea of junk and placed the black wizard gently on the couch and tried to recall his name. what was it? Zered, Zerked, Zerl… Kevin? "UGH!" Natsu slammed his head on the wall. Why did he have to be so forgetful? It sucked. Natsu slowly turned back to his guest, realizing more with every passing minute that he should not listen to his first impulse, which had been to help the person who was in trouble. Maybe Natsu should tie him up? That didn't seem like it would make much of a difference though. He hardly wanted to go traipsing through the rain again to give him the magic council. Speaking of which, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to show up out of the blue and tell the council he had the black wizard. Thousands of things could go wrong with a plan such as that. For example, what if he woke up before they could properly contain him and kill everyone in the city? That didn't sound appealing in the slightest to Natsu. He came to the rather obvious conclusion that the best place to go would be nowhere. The black wizard in the woods where no humans were was probably in everyone's best interest… well, everyone's best interest except Natsu himself.

Against his better judgement (although he didn't have very good judgement to begin with) he placed his hand on the black mage's forehead. As he half expected, it was burning with fever. Natsu didn't think he had any medication for a fever. Especially for a fever, considering Natsu never had any problem with heat. In fact, Natsu couldn't remember the last time he was sick. Hm… maybe he'd break into Lucy's apartment and steal some of her pills. _Or you could go to the store and buy some,_ a voice inside his head insisted. "What like a normal person?... nah."

Once he'd gotten back from Lucy's apartment, he warily poked his head inside the door. The black mage was still on his couch and he hadn't seemed to move. Natsu figured that he couldn't give mage medicine until he woke up, or risk choking him to death. Natsu sighed, and wished, not for the first time, that he had gone to Lucy's apartment. If he had done that he wouldn't have even known that the black mage was sick, and therefore, would have no guilt hanging over his conscience had he been left in the rain. What was his name? Natsu had also borrowed a few history books and was now flipping through them. Finally, he found the page he was looking for. Zeref… Zeref, of course! How could Natsu have ever forgotten. "His name is Zeref… remember this time, idiot." Natsu mumbled to himself as he closed the book. Natsu turned back to watching Zeref. What did you even do for someone who had a fever? They were usually burning up so maybe something cool? But he also remembered Lucy telling him that despite the patient's body feeling warm, sometimes they could get the shivers. Natsu hadn't known what the heck Lucy was talking about until now as he saw Zeref shivering despite the fact he was burning up. Natsu tore through his closet until he finally came upon a blanket. Natsu had no use for one, since he was his own blanket. This one was one of Happy's old ones. Natsu threw it over the black mage, regardless of the fact that it was small and thin. Natsu growled unhappily to himself. Not only did the cloth seem to have no effect, but now it was getting wet. Slowly Natsu took the covers back and glared at Zeref. It wasn't his fault but Natsu needed to be angry at someone. "Nope." Natsu said shaking his head as soon as the idea came to him. "Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope." He stared at Zeref's wet clothes. They were probably half the reason he was shivering. "Nope, nope, nope, nope." This was followed by more nopes and banging. "I have to do it, don't I?"

 _Yup. His brain said._

"You know, I could just throw him back out in the rain." Natsu reasoned with his mind.

 _Nope. His mind said._

"Why am I even arguing with you? You're my mind! You have to listen to me!" Natsu shouted. His mind was silent. He was arguing, out loud, with himself. Did that make him crazy? Natsu wasn't sure.

Now dressed in some of Natsu's spare clothes, Natsu piled three more blankets on top of him. He let out the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. That had probably been the most stressful thing he'd ever been through in his entire life. well, next to Erza's "special" training. Natsu shivered at that thought. After a few minutes, Zeref stopped shivering and his breath wasn't as shallow and strained. Natsu wasn't sure if there was much else he could do while Zeref was asleep. He'd already put a wet rag on his forehead. So, that was out of the way.

Natsu glanced out the small window beside him. it was pitch black outside, so it must've been pretty late. The tired mage let out a yawn and flopped onto his hammock. Sleep came fairly easy after that.

Later that night Natsu awoke to a crash. His eyes shot open and he quickly jumped out of bed. "Ouch…" he heard a quiet mumble. Who else was here? Was it Happy? Then Natsu remembered how he'd made the biggest mistake of his entire life. he had brought the black mage into his home.

"Zeref?" Natsu whispered quietly. He made a quick dash across the room and flicked the light switch. The room instantly flooded with bright light. Zeref was on the floor, having tripped over one of the many items scattered about.

"Don't you know you could kill someone." Zeref grumbled to himself, looking around at all the tripping hazards. "Wait a second… where am I?" Zeref seemed to realize instantly that this was not where he was supposed to be. Natsu jumped on him the second he realized Zeref's expression. Panic.

"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." Natsu reasoned.

"T-that's not what I'm worried about." Zeref whispered, struggling in Natsu's grip. Zeref wasn't sure who was on top of him and he didn't know what to do. he didn't want to hurt this person, but hurt was better than kill, was it not? "Get off me before I am the one to hurt you or worse. You should not have helped me, I would've been completely fine. now if you don't want to die I suggest you let me go." Zeref told him.

"Is that a threat?"

"No, it's advice." Natsu slowly let go of him. He was starting to second guess his idea of not tying the black mage up.

"Whatever. I brought you here because you were sick." Before he turned around to meet his host, Zeref looked down at himself.

"What happened to my clothes?" he asked. his voice didn't sound angry like Natsu had half expected, but he merely sounded curious. Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"They were… uh… wet, so I took them off. Those are my clothes." Natsu said. Finally, Zeref turned to him.

"Natsu…" he breathed. "I've… missed you." Natsu stared at him blankly for several moments.

"Um… Zeref, you're delirious from your fever. I'll get the medication I stole from Lucy's ho-… I mean bought." Natsu let out a slightly nervous laugh. "Here, why don't you lay back down, and I'll get the pills." Zeref's eyes narrowed slightly.

"How do I know you're not trying to drug me."

"I am trying to drug you." Natsu said mater-of-factly. Zeref sighed. he knew the medication probably wouldn't even affect him, but if it made Natsu feel better, than who was he to refuse?

"Alright." Natsu went to the kitchen and grabbed the bottle. He read the label. It was a magic pill so one was advised. If the fever was really bad you should take two, blah, blah, blah. Natsu actually didn't know if Zeref had a fever anymore. He didn't have any pills, so why would he have a thermometer of all things? Natsu shrugged and poured one pill in his hand. If it didn't seem to have any effect, then Natsu would give him another. But, he'd rather be safe than sorry, right?... what was becoming of him? it was Lucy's job to be careful for the both of them! Just that thought made Natsu want to ignore the labels and give Zeref as many pills as he saw fit… but he didn't.

"So, how do you even take a pill?" Natsu wondered, staring at the small round thing. "Hm…" maybe Zeref would know. Natsu walked back into the room and shoved the pill into Zeref's hand.

"Um… do you even know how a pill is taken?"

"No, so why don't you tell me."

"Well, usually you have water." Natsu ran back to the kitchen. He searched through the cupboards for about ten minutes before he found a cup and filled it with water. "Then…" Zeref said once Natsu came back. "You place the pill on your tongue, take a drink of water, and swallow it." Zeref then demonstrated.

"Wow… how did you know that?"

"I've been sick a few times before. although I'm not sure if the pill will even do anything." Zeref said with a shrug. "I forgot how horrible and uncomfortable it was though."

"Yeah, why don't you lay down now." Natsu said quietly, pushing him down on the couch. Zeref didn't protest and groaned once again.

"Natsu… thank you, for this. I don't like being wet."

"Well, no one likes being wet, so…" Natsu trailed off and shrugged. "I guess I can't blame you." Zeref weakly nodded and closed his eyes.

"Yeah…" he mumbled softly." Natsu felt Zeref's forehead once more. He was still burning. If the pill was going to work, it should be working soon. since it was a magic pill it worked almost immediately. Well, things couldn't get any more complicated and weirder, could they? Natsu wasn't sure and he didn't want to find out. He sighed and turned out the lights again and went back to sleep.

Then next morning when Natsu woke up, Zeref was still very much asleep. He looked dead to the world at that very moment. "Hey… Zeref, you awake?" Natsu whispered quietly, just to make sure. When Zeref didn't respond Natsu let out the breath he'd been holding. He still couldn't quite believe what he had done. This was surely treason, wasn't it? Who knew what the kingdom would say if they ever found out that Natsu housed the dark mage in his home for the night and helped him when he was sick!

"Natsu?" he heard Zeref mumble. Natsu jumped and whirled around, ready to fight. He ALMOST felt bad for taking a defensive position. Zeref was squinting at him and coughed before bolting upright. "Natsu! So last night wasn't a dream…" he whispered quietly. He coughed again and stood up. Natsu didn't relinquish the defensive position. Zeref was still the evilest wizard on earth, ill or not. He'd probably walked out of an explosion that tore him to pieces… well, would've torn him to pieces had he not been the evilest wizard on earth, that was right, wasn't it? Natsu felt that for once, it was.

Zeref stumbled toward him. Natsu kept his fists up and stood still, almost as if frozen. All at once Zeref tripped over another of his items. Natsu, thankfully, caught him before Zeref hit the ground. Sitting here with him, Natsu thought Zeref could've almost been an ordinary teenager. "You've got to be more careful." Natsu grumbled.

"You're the last person I want a lecture about safety from." Zeref said, a small smile adorning his face.

"Gee, I feel so loved." Natsu said sarcastically. Zeref just kept smiling softly and even chuckled a bit. Natsu felt Zeref wrap his arms around Natsu's neck. Natsu wasn't sure what was happening. "Zeref, are you okay?"

"Yes, I feel much better. I think I'll be leaving today. Your scarf has protected you this long. I don't want to think of what will happen if it's protection runs out before I leave your presence… but, Natsu… thank you. For everything. Helping me, letting me stay here, simply being here. You've made me happier than I have been in a long time. I was beginning to think there was no hope left for your kind." The last part was said in a whisper.

"Um… your welcome I guess." Natsu said, a slow grin coming to his face. Though, for the record, Natsu was always grinning so, nothing was new there.

"I will take my leave now so I'm no longer in your way. And thank you." Zeref kissed Natsu's forehead. That was a little too much thanks in Natsu's opinion, though he supposed it was a black wizard thing? Natsu wasn't sure of the reason, but he didn't find himself cringing like he thought he would. "Goodbye, Natsu."

"Um… goodbye." Natsu smiled and waved as Zeref took his still slightly wet clothes.

"Oh, do you want this back?" Zeref pointed to the pajamas.

"Uh, you can keep them."

"Really? Thanks! You truly are kind hearted." Natsu didn't know why he was thanking him but shrugged and said your welcome anyway.

"You know that next time we meet we will probably be enemies, don't you?" Zeref asked a small frown finding his features.

"Yeah, but this wasn't about helping or not helping an enemy. This was about doing the right thing and I knew that I couldn't leave you out there in the rain to die."

"You know that I wouldn't have died."

"Well, the point is that it was the right thing to do. I did for you what I would've done for anyone else in that situation." Natsu said.

"I see…" Natsu grinned and patted Zeref's shoulder.

"Take care… well, I mean. Just, get better from whatever you caught in the rain, okay? That's what I meant. But just know that the next time I see you… I'm gonna beat you into next week, got it."

"Yes."

"That was a joke."

"I hadn't realized."

"Well, it wasn't just a joke. I will beat you, but it will be no less than into next month." Natsu grinned at the thought of that.

Zeref waved to him and smiled softly. And Natsu gave him a thumbs up. Natsu thought that this encounter had been a strange one, but it was one he hadn't completely regreted. Maybe he should listen to his first instincts more often. He supposed that they were right more often then not. He had good judgement. Take THAT Lucy!

Later that day at the guild hall Natsu was eating his lunch when Lucy came up to him to inquire about something taken from her household last night. "Hey Natsu, I found that some bottles in my medicine cabinet were missing, do you know anything about that?"

"Uh… nope, I had nothing to do with that."

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 **A/N So, I wasn't supposed to update until this Thursday (Valentines day) but I'm super bored because we're snowed-in here and can literally, not get out of the driveway. It's terrible. So, here's a new chapter that I hope you enjoyed, because I had fun writing it. So, thanks for reading, I will update sometime later today (again, because I'm bored and no other stories have new chapters yet). Then again on Thursday. I also have and new story out called The Devil and Me, a Zeref x Natsu multi-chap in which Zeref is an incubus, and Natsu wants an extraordinary life... until he doesn't. First two chapters done, next out on Thursday along with my Valentines day special. Reviews/favorites/follows are all appreciated so drop one of those if you liked this. Thanks for reading this, have a good day, bye!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail**

 **Summary: After the war with Alverez Zeref and Natsu aren't exactly on the best of terms, but all this might just change when Zeref walks into the Fairytail guild hall with a job that was mysteriously sent to his doorstep one day.**

 **Warnings: Extreme fluff and maybe cringe-worthy... not sure... what did I write?...**

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It was an ordinary day at the guild hall. But once the clock reached three o'clock, things weren't very ordinary afterward. Because at three o'clock Natsu's brother came through those large doors. It was not ordinary at all. In the war neither Alverez nor Fiore won. Both sides had to retreat and negotiate a peace treaty since neither side had the means to continue the war. Needless to say, Zeref and Fairytail were not on the best of terms. "Hello." Zeref said as he strode into the guildhall. Natsu's happy smile disappeared almost instantly.

"What do you want?" Natsu asked his lips drawing downward.

"It's a free country isn't?" Zeref asked. Natsu scowled.

"I guess so." Natsu grumbled. "Is there something you need then?"

"Well, you're a guild and I have a job."  
"Aren't there guilds where you come from?" Natsu spat. Zeref just raised an eyebrow.

"I'll have you know that Fiore is where I come from. I was born here you know." Zeref said. "Now, I have a job for you. I would like help deciphering this spell. I would be happy to post it in your guild should you take it."

"Take it up with Master Makarov." Natsu finally said after eyeing him up and down. Then he turned around, ignoring anything else that Zeref might've had to say." Zeref pursed his lips and went to the masters office.

"Mr. Dreyer." Makarov looked up. Zeref could tell Mavis was in the room as well.

"Zeref…" Makarov gave a cough. "I mean, Emperor Spriggan. How may I help you?" Makarov asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I… I just have a job to post, if you'll take it." Zeref said. Makarov was silent for a while.

"What kind of job?"

"I, -I need help deciphering the spell. On this paper." Zeref said, handing Makarov the parchment. Makarov stared at him.

"You came to see Natsu, didn't you?" Makarov asked. Zeref hesitated and then nodded.

"Yes, I did." He said quietly. Makarov nodded.

"I thought as much." Makarov said. "After all, if there's a spell you can't decipher the rest of us would never have been able to." Makarov handed the paper back to Zeref. "What does that spell do anyway?" Zeref blinked.

"I'm actually not quite sure. I haven't deciphered it yet. Although I do believe there is a bit of transformation magic involved." Zeref said, squinting at the paper. "Perhaps I'll decipher it once I return home." Zeref said.

"Oh, that won't be necessary. You've come to us with a job and so we will accept." Makarov said.

"Oh yes, but you must let me help." Zeref said, a small smile on his face. Makarov nodded.

"Very well." Makarov said, grinning. "Now, I'll have my guild wizards get right on it."

"Oh, that won't be necessary. Your wizards can accept at your own leisure." Zeref said. Makarov shook his head.

"Nonsense. This is a request from an emperor. We will accept it right away and that's final." He said.

"Well, in that case, thank you very much." Makarov nodded.

"Of course." He said.

"So," Natsu said. "How do we solve this?" he asked. "Also, why am I the one helping?"

"I will decipher the spell and cast it. And if something were to somehow go wrong, you are to fight it. Although I doubt something of that caliber will go wrong I'd rather be safe than sorry." Natsu rolled his eyes. If there was a threat Zeref could very easily take care of it. This was just an excuse. An excuse for what, Natsu did not know.

It only took about an hour for Zeref to convert the spell into Fioran. "Here we are. Alright, let's read it and see exactly what it does." Zeref spoke the spell aloud and paused after he was finished. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, but then Zeref started feeling strange. Zeref collapsed. His body was feeling strained. Zeref peered up at the table. Zeref was confused. Was it some sort of shrinking spell? He did not believe so.

"Um… Zeref?" Natsu said. Zeref frowned up at Natsu. He was quite a bit bigger than Zeref remembered. "Is that you?"

"I believe so." Zeref said.

"Now that's just weird." Natsu said in a disbelieving way. Zeref wondered what Natsu was talking about. "You're… a puppy." Natsu said, tilting his head as if trying to get a better angle. His brother bent down and picked him up. Zeref tried to make sense of that. He supposed it made some semblance of sense. He had thought it was a transformation spell of some kind and he was rarely wrong. the unfortunate part was that he was unsure of the counter spell. He supposed he'd have to wait for the spell to wear off. Spells like these usually did so within twenty-four hours. The problem was that if anyone were to get word of this then people would no doubt take advantage of his vulnerable state. Zeref sighed, how was Zeref going to explain how Natsu was to keep this a secret without being too obvious about how terrible this was.

"Um… Natsu. This is… this should remain a secret." Zeref said. Natsu looked confused.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"Just… just because." Zeref said quietly. Natsu pressed his lips together.

"Alright." Natsu said, cradling Zeref. "What do you want me to tell them.

"Nothing. If they come over say that you found a black puppy on the streets and wanted to take care of it. Say that I went home to Alverez after paying you and deciphering the spell. As far as their concerned, nothing was amiss, yes?" Natsu nodded.

"Alright." He said. Zeref sighed in relief. "So, is this a permanent thing?"

"Of course not. Likely I will be back to normal in the morning. If not, then we'll have to study the spell more closely. Likely there's something hidden within the text that will allow us to break this spell. Usually something specific that I will have to accomplish." Zeref said. Natsu nodded.

"Okay. I'll take you back to my house then. You can stay there for tonight… I guess." He added, eyeing Zeref. "But you owe me big… twice! For keeping your secret and letting you stay at my house." Natsu shook his head. "Why are you always so much trouble."

"Sorry…" Natsu sighed and started home. It wasn't far since they were already in the forest. Zeref had wanted to go some place secluded. Natsu placed Zeref on his couch and sat down beside him.

"You know, you're a cute puppy." Natsu said, studying him. Zeref was unsure of how to respond to that.

"Thanks?" he tried, unsure if that was what was best to say at that moment.

"Your welcome." Natsu said. And then they sat in silence. Zeref eventually lied down. It was strange, resting on his stomach and walking on four legs. Zeref jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his head. Was Natsu petting him? Zeref leveled Natsu with a curious look. He supposed that petting was what you did to mindless animals. Zeref however, was by no means mindless. Yet he still found himself liking it. He also had the faint urge to roll onto his back so Natsu could rub his belly too. Zeref's eyes snapped open.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a slightly irritated tone. He was only irritated because of how great and energizing it felt.

"Oh… sorry. I forgot you're not a real dog for a moment there. Especially when your leg started going." Zeref scowled although it was likely Natsu could not tell.

"Whatever." He grumbled and laid his head down. Zeref couldn't wait to return to his human form. He was far too vulnerable like this. Perhaps in this form he wasn't even immortal. That was a terrifying thought. Natsu could kill him at this very moment if he saw fit. That made Zeref shudder. Natsu shrugged and started rubbing his ears. "I'm surprised you haven't attempted to kill me yet." Zeref blurted his black eyes flickering up to Natsu's.

"Kill you?" Natsu asked. Zeref felt hands grab him. he wanted to growl or something from the interruption in peace, but he did not. "You're in the form of a cute little puppy and utterly defenseless. How could I possibly kill you?" Zeref sighed.

"Puppy or not, I'm still me. And you hate me." Zeref said quietly. Natsu frowned.

"I don't hate you. I dislike you very strongly, but I don't hate you." Natsu cradled him again and leaned back. "You know, I wonder why I always feel calmer when something's in my arms. Especially if it's small and vulnerable."

"Why especially?"

"I'm not sure… I think that I just… like to feel like I'm protecting something." Natsu grinned and looked down at him. "I guess you're no different."

"If you say so." Zeref muttered.

"I do… Hey Zeref."

"Yes?"

"I think I know why you wanted to come by the guild today." Zeref frowned.

"What do you mean? I came by because I had that job."

"Zeref I may be stupid but not even I'm stupid enough to believe that monstrous lie."

"Alright, if you're so smart then why did I come to the guild today?"

"You came to see me." Natsu said.

"Don't get full of yourself, I most certainly did not." Zeref growled. Natsu grinned.

"You did, and nothing you have said or will ever say is going to change my mind." Natsu said defiantly. Zeref rolled eyes his and contemplated biting the fingers that were currently petting him again, like some common household pet. "You wanted to see me, didn't you? You want to protect me. Because in your eyes, I'm small and vulnerable, aren't I?" Zeref wasn't sure what to say to that, so he sighed.

"Yes, you are."

"I knew it!" he cried, grinning. "It's okay Zeref. I'm not a baby anymore. I can take care of myself… but sometimes it's nice to be vulnerable, wouldn't you say?" Natsu asked, rubbing his belly, the most vulnerable part of him. Zeref tensed and gulped. "It's nice to trust people to take care of you, isn't it?"

"I-I-I suppose s-so." Zeref said, slightly petrified. Natsu sighed, his hand coming up to rub his chin, another vulnerable part.

"It can be a great way to get a weight off you." Natsu said. Zeref hummed his agreement, but he was still tense. Natsu sighed. "Zeref, I'm not going to hurt you. Not like this. Not when you're in this state. Just trust me." Zeref's rapid breathing slowed and he took deep breaths.

"Right… trust." He whispered quietly. Natsu nodded.

"Yes, that's right."

"Alright, I trust you." Zeref felt a strange sensation all over his body again. after several minutes he slowly opened his eyes. "Natsu? What happened?" he groaned and wriggled in Natsu's suddenly tight grip. Natsu quickly loosened it and stared at Zeref with another confused look on his face.

"… It's you. But I mean, it's human you… how strange." Natsu muttered.

"I see… so, now are you going to try and kill me again now?" Natsu rolled his eyes.

"I never tried to kill you in the first place, and were you just listening to a thing I said?" Natsu asked. Zeref shrugged, unsure. He had thought that only applied to him when he was in such a miserable state that Natsu couldn't bring himself to kill such a pitiful creature.

"I guess so." Zeref whispered.

"I said that it was okay to be vulnerable, you don't have to be so… so sad all the time. You can trust me. I won't hurt you… well, not when your back's to me. If I'm gonna fight ya, I'm gonna fight ya head-on." Natsu said. "Anything else would be cowardice."

"I see, I take it things like chivalry matter to you."

"Heck no! this ain't about chivalry, this is about how I fight. And I fight head-on instead of stabbing my opponents in the back." Natsu said seriously. That was when Zeref realized he was still being cradled.

"Um… you can let go now." Zeref said quietly. Natsu stroked an invisible beard as he contemplated what Natsu decided to take as a request.

"I don't think I will. As I said, I like protecting." Zeref, annoyed, scowled.

"I don't need your protection!" he cried.

"Yeah, maybe, but you want it." Natsu said, smirking. Zeref muttered and grumbled under his breath as he let himself relax in his brother's hold. "Listen Zeref, I don't hate you. I just thought you should know that, brother." Zeref nodded. He felt Natsu squeeze him tighter and kiss his forehead. "You're still welcome to stay the night, if you want. I said you could stay and you can. But you still owe me regardless."

Zeref chuckled quietly. "I think I understand." He said.

"Good, 'cause I'm not repeating it."

"I love you Natsu." Natsu blinked at him and ruffled his hair.

"Love you too, buddy."

"Hang on a second… why am I getting treated like the little brother. I'm the big one!"

"Come back later when you're actually taller. Then we'll talk." Natsu said smirking. Zeref scowled because he knew he was never going to grow a single inch taller for the rest of eternity.

"Curses." He muttered.

"Yep, Master put a pretty good one on you, didn't he?" Natsu said, his smirk widening. Zeref's scowl deepened.

"You're the ones that sent that spell to my doorstep and suggest I visit Fairytail, weren't you?" Natsu's grin said all he needed to know. "So, that's why that little troll wanted to get the spell deciphered right away. It was all an elaborate set-up."

"You're funny when your mad." Natsu said grinning that infuriating grin.

"Wipe that grin off your face before I smack it off you!" Zeref cried, pushing Natsu's arms off and standing up. "And no, I won't be staying with you." Natsu laughed.

"You're acting like a child." He said.

"I most certainly am not!" Zeref shrieked. Natsu laughed even harder. Zeref crossed his arms and stared at his feet. "That was really scary…" he mumbled. Natsu sighed and pulled Zeref back on to his lap.

"I'm sorry. And the rest of us will apologize tomorrow. But you have to admit, someone had to knock you down a few pegs." Zeref frowned and kept his hands clenched.

"I don't have to admit anything." He said.

"Yeah, yeah. But it was a perfectly safe experiment. I could've kept you safe had anyone found out and I would never kick you while you were down… plus, you Were. A. PUPPY!" he cried.

"Yeah well, I didn't know that." Zeref mumbled.

"If you say so." Natsu said placing Zeref beside him. The black mage felt Natsu's arm draped over his shoulder and decided to let it slide this once.

"I'll let it go." Zeref said with a sigh.

"Yes!" Natsu cheered.

Zeref settled back to relax for the rest of the day. He supposed he had been taught a valuable lesson, despite how terrible the methods were. At least it worked. If it hadn't or something had gone wrong Zeref would be much more upset and Natsu would've had to deal with a moody black wizard. "But just this once." Zeref added in a warning tone. Plus, the fact that he'd already cursed Natsu as payback. That helped calm Zeref down a little bit. Let's just say the next morning Natsu was a pink cat and Zeref was happy as could be.

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 **A/N I don't know what this is and I don't know how it came from inside me, but I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading, reviews/follows/favorites are all welcome.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref is forced to babysit some three-year old kid with pink hair. He hopes it will be easy, but alas, he is woefully unprepared for the challenge.**

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"Babysit? For who?"

"Mr. Dragneel. He could really use all your help. This move has been really hard for him and well… it's either helping us move boxes or babysitting his adorable three-year-old boy." Zeref shuddered at both options. Physical labor when it was avoidable was not happening. Babysitting was even worse. And considering how young the child was, it was sure to be a nightmare.

"Are you sure, crawl into a hole and die is not an option?" Zeref asked half-heartedly, already picturing the glare his mother would give him. indeed, this was the look he received but Zeref was hardly paying attention anymore. He already knew the only option he had. Even if he were to tell his mother he'd rather do labor she would beg him and nag him every few minutes until he caved. He'd learned a long time ago that it was better to just give her what she wanted. "Fine, I'll babysit. But I don't have to be happy about it." Zeref grumbled.

"Wonderful!" she exclaimed and left him in peace. Zeref sighed. how long would it take them to move? Zeref had been to Igneel's old house plenty of times before. there wasn't a lot crammed into the decent sized apartment, but there still was a good amount of junk. If Igneel hadn't sorted through everything then it could take days. No, it wouldn't take days to unload everything, but it was highly likely that his parents would insist on organizing as well. Igneel wasn't one to turn down free help, so he would definitely agree. That meant that Zeref was stuck entertaining his annoying brat for days. Zeref could only hope that he was one of those kids you could stick in front of the TV for hours on end.

Unfortunately, Zeref found out very quickly that he was not. "Good morning Zeref. It's great to see you again." Igneel said, ruffling his hair like he was still 10. Igneel was not Zeref's favorite person ever, even less so now that he found out Igneel finally came back to his home town, unmarried, with a kid. Zeref felt that Igneel probably hadn't even wanted this child, but the mother probably wanted him even less. So, as a result Igneel decided to be the "responsible one". Zeref managed to communicate all these feelings through one, hard stare.

"Yes… wonderful." Zeref said coldly, staring up at the man.

"… We're sorry about Zeref, he's… going through a phase." His father said, clapping Zeref hard on the back and giving him a warning look. Zeref glared up at his father and winced from pain. Igneel just smiled uncertainly and stepped out of the way. A small pink-haired child bolted into the room. He was grinning and seemed to be full of energy. Zeref watched very dismayed by this fact. Why couldn't he have gotten a three-year-old who loved books and math and would sit quietly contemplating the world whilst Zeref did the same. Granted, he'd never met a child of any age who did this, but one could always dream, right? Zeref sighed. how unfortunate, it seemed he hadn't gotten a child who would be easily entertained.

"It's quite alright." Igneel said.

"Very good, please come in." said his mother. "Can I get you anything, is there a specific order in the way you want to do things?" she asked. The adults all moved into the kitchen and Zeref was left alone with the small child.

"Hi." The kid waved at him. "I'm Natsu." Then the child waited only moving to blink occasionally.

"I'm Zeref." He said after a while. Natsu grinned at him.

"I know. Wanna play?" Zeref stared at the child. No, he didn't want to play. Not in the slightest. But if he didn't Natsu would eventually wander into the kitchen and complain about being bored. Then Zeref would really be in trouble. So, he sighed and watched as Natsu didn't even wait for him to answer and was crawling up the steps.

By the time Zeref finally got up the stairs Natsu had already found his room. Zeref didn't have any toys but Natsu had obviously prepared for this. He reached into his red backpack which had a picture of a dragon on it and took out more dragons. "I assume you like dragons." Natsu nodded.

"They're my favorite!" he cried. "So, let's play!" Natsu handed him a green dragon. "I like red." Natsu said as he picked up the red dragon. Zeref sighed and figured that there was no getting out of this.

"So how do you play?" Zeref asked.

"The dragons are fighting the bad people." Natsu took out three action figures. Zeref assumed that those were the bad people. "They hurt the dragon's friends." Natsu said and took out three more action figures. "You can play the bad people." Zeref rolled his eyes. Of course, he could play the bad people.

"Alright."

"You also play the bad dragon." Natsu said. Zeref discerned that the green dragon he was holding was the bad dragon. It was a really boring game. Natsu had a huge imagination but his vocabulary was small, and he said a lot of words wrong. Zeref had to keep correcting him, and once he got tired of that he just let Natsu ramble on and tried to keep up. After an hour Zeref was exhausted and considered running away and joining the circus just so he wouldn't have to take part in this unbearable torture.

"Natsu… don't you want to play by yourself for a little while?" Natsu stared at him blankly.

"By myself?" he asked as if the concept was completely foreign to him. perhaps it was. Zeref wasn't sure. "What do you mean." Zeref was silent staring at the child, thinking of a response that Natsu would accept.

"Um… it means that you… that you play alone… without me here. You can be all the characters and make up all the rules. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"No!" Natsu said with a pout, his face scrunched, and his arms crossed.

"Right… of course not." Zeref said with a sigh. "Are you sure… maybe you could just watch TV?"

"No! play with me! Daddy said you'd do whatever I told you!" Zeref now glowered at the child.

"He said what?"

"He said you'd do whatever I told you." Zeref tried not to scream. He wanted to punch Igneel in his smiling face. "Okay…" Zeref said quietly. Natsu smirked and continued his stupid game.

"I'm not watching him again." Zeref told his parents. "He treats me like his personal slave and all he wants to do is play with dragons." Zeref said.

"Oh, Zeref dear, it can't be all that bad."

"We'll talk once YOU'VE played dragons for 8 hours straight." His parents looked at each other.

"Well what are we going to tell Igneel? Out son's selfish and can't give up three days of his time to babysit one sweet child?" his father asked. His mother gave his dad a look.

"Dear, antagonizing him is not going to get him to do what we want." His mother said. She turned back to Zeref. "Sweetie don't listen to your father. It's not selfish to want a little time to yourself and I completely understand." Zeref blinked at her.

"You do?" he asked suspiciously.

"Most certainly. When you were born I wanted time to myself too." She said coming over beside him. Oh no, here it came. The guilt trip. "You were always crying, always wanting to be fed. I never got more than a few hours of sleep. You were the most difficult and particular child I've ever seen. And a picky eater as well. Yet I did not take a break because you needed me, and I was your mother. And now look at you! You're a handsome, intelligent young man, and you never would've become so had I taken a break from parenting, now would I?" she pinched his cheek.

"Mom! Mom, stop it, I get it!" she giggled and patted him on the head.

"Good." Zeref sighed and grumbled about how it was her idea to have a child and that was different. His mother however, wasn't listening anymore and was making him cuddle her on the couch.

"Mom, could you stop. I'm too old for this."

"As long as you fit in my arms you are never too old."

"I'm 17." He grumbled. In his opinion that was too old. "I'm almost an adult now."

"Ah, but almost and are, are two different things now, aren't they my dear." Zeref was silent. "Come on, allow your mother to hold you while she still can." His mother said. Zeref didn't think that he could argue with that. Zeref didn't think he could argue with anything his mother said.

The next morning Zeref was forced to watch Natsu again. the child was very annoying in more ways than one. "I don't want to play dragons anymore." Zeref cried.

"Then what do you want to play?"

"Nothing! I want to spend some time alone. so, would you just leave me alone for now?" Zeref asked. Natsu pouted.

"But I want to play." Natsu whined. Zeref groaned and laid back down on the bed.

"You listen here, watching TV is good for you!"

"Really?" Natsu asked. "Daddy says it rots your brain."

"Your father isn't here now, is he?"

"… Are you a bad kid?" Natsu asked. Zeref raised an eyebrow. He couldn't be serious.

"No! you can't be serious." Zeref cried. "I just… why don't you just try it."

"No!" Natsu cried. Zeref sighed and glared at the child. He was the most annoying kid Zeref had ever had to babysit. Granted, he'd never babysat before, but he knew it couldn't be as hard as this, right? Zeref shook his head. He could not believe how difficult Natsu was. "PLAY WITH ME!"

"NO!" Zeref cried.

"But daddy said-."

"Your daddy was wrong." Natsu was silent, staring at him.

"M-my daddy isn't… w-wrong!" Natsu sniffed and started crying. "My daddy's never wrong!" Natsu screamed and started crying harder. Zeref pursed his lips together.

"Of course, he isn't." Natsu sniffed and stared at him.

"My daddy always hugs me when I cry." Natsu sobbed.

"Right, of course." Zeref said quietly. This child was insufferable. So, they played for the rest of the day. Except now Natsu did so on top of Zeref. When this child got older Zeref was going to make him babysit his children. Not that Zeref would have any. But if he did this kid was paying the price!

"One day I'm going to be just like you." Natsu said.

"Honestly? Wouldn't you rather be like your dad."

"No. he's nice, but he's stupid."

"How do you know that?" Zeref asked.

"He told me." Natsu said matter-of-factly. Zeref sighed.

"And you think I'm smart?"

"… You play with me." Natsu said. Zeref narrowed his eyes. The child had avoided answering his questions.

"What's 1x1?" the child stared blankly at him.

"You're actually smart, aren't you?" the child said, staring at him with a wide-eyed expression.

"You don't have to sound so surprised." Zeref grumbled under his breath. Natsu smiled.

"I like dragons."

"I know." Zeref growled. That's all Natsu ever talked about after all.

"I know you know… I'm going to be fun like daddy when I grow up, and smart like you!" Natsu cried as if he'd decided exactly who he was going to become. Zeref raised an eyebrow at his excited statement. It didn't much matter. Natsu would forget this ever happened eventually.

"If you say so."

"I do!" and Natsu did become fun like his father… smart, well… that was debatable.

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 **A/N I hope you enjoyed this because I certainly had a lot of fun writing it! Zeref's so funny when he's irritated and Natsu is just a normal kid who wants to play but Zeref thinks he's out to get him... or something XD So, thanks for reading guys, reviews/follows/favorites are all appreciated. See you tomorrow, bye!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Juvia has purchased a Love Potion on February 14th, Valentines Day and she is ecstatic to try it out. A single drop of this potion makes the one you love attracted to you... the whole bottle, however, can make EVERYONE attracted. Unfortunately for the person who bumped into Juvia, the bottle spilled all over him. And who is this person you may ask? Fairytail's beloved Black Wizard of course!**

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It was February 14th, Valentine's Day, and Juvia had bought a little something for this day of love. "This will make Gray finally fall for Juvia!" Juvia exclaimed happily as she unscrewed the bottle with pink liquid sloshing around inside. All she had to do was pour it on herself and Gray would be attracted to her! Mira said that it only took a little bit. If you poured too much, then EVERYONE would start to be attracted. Juvia bit her lip in anticipation but cried out when she felt herself barreled over. She dropped the potion all over the person. The dark-haired male cried out.

"Aww! I'll never get these stains out." He complained quietly. "S-So sorry miss. I'll make it up to you later but right now I'm late!" he shouted and continued running. Juvia blinked, in a daze at what just happened.

"… Was that Zeref?" she wondered, tilting her head. Then she convinced herself it couldn't be since Zeref had gone back to Alverez forever ago. "That poor person." She muttered to herself. It was unfortunate, but she thought the person had already made it up to her by the horror they were probably about ready to experience.

Zeref on the other hand, was indeed Zeref, and he was already REALLY late. "I'm sorry!" he cried, rushing in the building. The bar was crowded and Zeref blinked, not expecting this to be the place his brother had wanted to meet him. he walked through the crowd, feeling uncomfortable when random strangers stared at him as though he was a piece of art. He cleared his throat and walked through the pathway people made for him. he'd noticed other people looking at him while he was running there as well. He'd thought it was because he was running around like a maniac, but that was obviously not the case. Zeref knew that people didn't always run around with a pink stain on a white shirt, but hadn't these people ever been taught that it was rude to stare?

"Hey, Zeref!" Natsu cried, waving him over. "Wow, you look great." He said. Zeref was not quite sure what Natsu meant. He hardly counted a button-down shirt and black jeans to be that out of place. Natsu had said to be casual after all.

He and his brother were merely conversing when a group of ladies wandered up to them. A blonde one raked her eyes up Zeref's form before asking flirtatiously if he would give her his number.

"My… number?" Zeref asked dumbly. What did she mean she wanted his number?

"Yeah." The girl said, biting the bottom of her plump, cherry red, lip. Zeref gulped nervously.

"She wants your phone number." Natsu whispered.

"Phone?" Zeref asked confusedly, "Um… I'm sorry miss, I don't have this phone you speak of." Zeref said.

"And he has an accent." The woman whispered to herself and giggled. Zeref had no idea what she was talking about. He exchanged a look with Natsu who shrugged.

"He'll call you back." Natsu said charmingly. The woman's eyes got big.

"He will?" she asked. Natsu nodded and waved her onward. The woman practically skipped away from them. Apparently, she hadn't even noticed the two hadn't exchanged numbers.

"Hey, um, dude, what's that pink stuff on your shirt?"

"Oh, this? I was walking around when I ran into this woman! I sort of accidentally ran her over and she spilled this pink stuff on me." Zeref shrugged.

"What'd the woman look like?"

"She had blue hair and eyes. She also had a wool hat even though it's not THAT cold.

"Juvia!" Natsu cried, looking slightly worried. Zeref shrugged.

"Maybe." He said. Natsu bit his lip and played with his fingers nervously.

"I bet you that was a love potion!" Natsu exclaimed. Zeref shrugged. "I think I remember her and Mira talking about something like that! Your supposed to pour a little bit on yourself and the one you love will be attracted to you but… the entire bottle like you got. It would make anyone, and everyone attracted to you. That explains why I've wanted to kiss you this entire time!" Zeref blinked. Natsu gulped. "I don't mean to sound creepy. It's just the love potion!"

"It's alright, I get it, that makes sense! So, how long till it wears off?"

"It's not supposed to wear off. Not without a counter potion anyway. Mira and Juvia put their money together to buy that. I'm pretty sure Mira was supposed to get some too. It was SUPER expensive... and probably slightly illegal…" Natsu said. Natsu bit his lip and closed his eyes. "C'mon!" he said finally. "Let's go!" he took Zeref's hand and pulled him along. Zeref nodded and followed Natsu out of the bar. All the stares were getting too uncomfortable anyway. Natsu and Zeref were walking down the streets. Zeref was not stupid. He knew Natsu was trying to hold back from clinging to Zeref and expressing his love for him. Natsu was panting when he shoved Zeref against a wall. Other people were also crowding around him like a moth to flame. Zeref was petrified.

"What are you doing! Don't you love me!" the blonde from the bar hollered over the crowd of people. The rest of them protested violently toward this.

"What are you talking about! He loves me!" Natsu shrieked. Zeref spent his time trying to dodge Natsu's lips. He hated this love potion with his very soul. "UGH!" Natsu cried out in frustration. "Stop. Moving!" he cried.

"Never!" Zeref exclaimed. Natsu, annoyed, grabbed his face. "No! you're my brother! Stop! You don't really feel this way!" Zeref cried, trying to crane his face away. Zeref struggled, raised his arms as far as he could, and pushed Natsu violently away. Zeref then, turned around and started running, screaming for someone to help him. but all his screams did were attract more people. Zeref knew he would eventually run out of stamina. He panted as he ran, turning corner after corner. He had to find an anti-love potion and quickly!

"Over here." He heard whispering. Zeref did a quick scan of the area before he saw that blue-haired woman from earlier. He quickly ran over to her. Her eyes went slightly starry when she saw him. "Wow, that love potion makes Zeref REALLY attractive." He grimaced.

"You aren't going to throw yourself at me, are you?" Juvia shook her head.

"No, Juvia only has one love and his name is Gray." Juvia turned around. Zeref heard yelling behind him, asking where he'd went. "We'd better hurry. It won't take long for Natsu to sniff Zeref out." Juvia said. Zeref nodded and followed her, not commenting on the fact that she spoke in third person. Zeref had been around for a long time, but still, he had not met someone who spoke as easily in third person as she did in an extensive amount of time. It was quite fascinating. "Here." She whispered, crouching down to grab a bottle with what appeared to be black liquid in it. "Since the whole bottle of love potion spilled on Zeref we'll need the whole bottle of anti-love as well. That should return Zeref to his natural attractiveness before it was tampered with magic." She said, handing it over to him. Zeref nodded. "Put it on when you have the chance… although." She paused. Zeref frowned.

"Although what? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"That might take a little while." She said, pointing to the entrance of the alley. Zeref followed her finger to look at the crowd that was running toward them.

"THERE HE IS!" Natsu shouted, pointing to him. Apparently, Natsu had lost any sense of self control that he'd had previously. Zeref sighed. this was going to be a long day. He would have to find somewhere else he could put the potion on in peace. He'd bought a house in Magnolia a while back, so he'd have some place to stay should he ever decide to visit Natsu for an extended amount of time. That place should be perfect.

Natsu tackled him to the ground. "I love you!" he cried. Zeref struggled as others threw themselves on top of him as well.

"No, you don't!" Zeref cried, struggling. He had to get away, and quickly. Zeref groaned and struggled as Natsu tried to kiss him again. "NATSU!" he screamed.

"He said my name!" Natsu fangirled.

"He's mine!" yelled another.

"You would do anything for me, right?" Zeref asked with what he hoped to be a charming smile. Though, whether it was charming or not probably wouldn't matter anyway since Natsu adored him. Natsu nodded eagerly. "Well, if you come with me to my house and protect me from everyone else, I'll give you a kiss on the front porch." Natsu stared, starry-eyed at him and nodded vigorously.

"Anything for you Zeref!" he said. Then Natsu punched everyone off Zeref and started using his body as a shield whilst Zeref walked safe and sound toward his house. When he got there Natsu turned to him eagerly. As promised Zeref kissed him on the cheek. Natsu literally melted to the floor in happiness. Zeref, before Natsu could regain his wits and try to kiss him on the lips next, closed the door in Natsu's face with a slam. He quickly locked all the doors before sinking to his knees in relief.

Slowly he uncapped the bottle and poured it on himself. Now it stained his shirt as well. Zeref concluded that there was no hope for his poor shirt. Zeref vaguely wondered why the potion was purple. Wasn't it supposed to be black? Just then he heard a crash and Natsu and others jumped through the window. Zeref raised an eyebrow. What was going on? Shouldn't they be back to normal?

"Zeref." Natsu said. Others repeated his name as well. Zeref slowly crawled back on his hands and knees with a terrified look on his face. They sounded kind of like zombies in Zeref's opinion. "Stay with me… FOREVER!"

Zeref screamed and ran out of the house. All of his fangirls and fanboys screaming for him as they chased after him. what had gotten into everyone?

Meanwhile: with Juvia

"Oops… maybe Juvia should've checked the label on that potion before giving it to him." Juvia said while looking at the anti-love potion in her hand. But, you may ask, if Juvia has the anti-love potion, then what potion did Zeref put on himself? "It may take a little more than an anti-love potion to get things back to normal now." She whispered quietly. "Since now everyone's obsessed with him."

"It was an obsession potion!" Zeref shrieked as he ran. So that's why the potion was purple instead of black! Zeref should've read the label more carefully. He groaned.

Let's just say that day was a VERY exhausting for Zeref.

Meanwhile, Juvia also had a very busy day, turning everybody back to normal with the help of some other Fairytail mages.

And MUCh later, he had finally managed to escape for a moment from the mob of fans. They had stopped chasing him a little bit ago, but Zeref hadn't been willing to take any chances. He was leaning against a crate in an alley when he heard a name that sent shivers up his spine. "Zeref?" Zeref screamed and ran. He didn't stop for anything. Natsu raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with him", Natsu thought. Natsu shrugged and walked off all the while hearing Zeref whine,

"Just leave me alone!"

* * *

 **A/N Here's your Valentines Day special! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for reading, reviews/follows/favorites are all appreciated! Happy Valentines Day!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: It's the end of the world. Nothing is left, no plant, animal, or human... almost.**

* * *

A world.

The world.

No world.

Why? He didn't understand it. The dirt, and the grass, and the sun, and the water. Water, flowing down, giving.

Life.

But no longer. No world of his had that. It was a desolate wasteland. He held it in his hands, gripped it tightly, holding on so tight that it crumbled within his fingers and he was left to watch it fall in horror, in surprise. But most of all, in reluctant acceptance. It was not his to hold. It was his to destroy.

And indeed, he had.

Alone. When was the last time that word _hadn't_ lingered in his mind. When was the last time he had been _together_?

8 centuries? Nine? He didn't remember.

Self-loathing. It hurt. It hurt so much. He stared at his own fingers, resignedly. When had he become so indifferent? He didn't know that either. It turned out, he didn't know a lot of things. This world was nothing. He had killed it. Oh, had he killed it. It had been so easy; so easy, it was an accident. How? How could you destroy the world on accident? He didn't know that either. But somehow, he had managed.

Was he the last man on Earthland? Probably. He didn't actually know, he supposed. He didn't exactly travel. He knew it wouldn't matter. Everywhere he turned would be dead. He was almost happy for that. In a sickening sort of way. Nothing left to kill. He had done it. He could love as much as he wanted now, and nothing could stop him. Nothing could break him. This world had ripped him, torn him, screamed and hit and pulled him apart piece by piece, over and over. But he was still here! He was still here and it couldn't break him! What was it he felt? Triumph? Was that it? Perhaps it was something like that. There was nothing else to feel, after all.

And if there was, what would it be? He often wondered this. There was nothing else to wonder about, nothing else to do but wonder. Sadness maybe? Depression? Hm, wouldn't that be amusing? The wind ruffled his hair, making him close his eyes and think.

Thinking about how it could've been different. Different had he just given up. Different how? He didn't know. But anything would've been better than this.

It was a rather fitting end for the world he thought. Love, that which created life, destroyed it as well. The prospect almost made him laugh. It did, every time.

Hope.

Why?

Did you.

Do it?

Voices. Clawing at him, screaming and asking. They never did give up, did they. Though now, he had become indifferent toward them. He couldn't block them out. He couldn't make them stop. But he ignored them. There was nothing else to do.

Die.

"I would if I could." He told them softly. He wanted to. Wanted to. But he never got what he wanted. This world was proof of that. He giggled and gazed around at the sight of it all. "There's an odd beauty in dead things, you know." He said aloud. "They're so still and empty, untouchable. It makes me shiver at the thought of being so cold, so non-existent. So utterly removed and unconscious to the decisions others make. It sounds like true bliss, doesn't it?"

Fix it.

"I can't."

He had given up on that forever ago.

Forever ago seemed like a lifetime away. It seemed empty. And if he looked back it was like he was an intruder. Gazing upon a past, a story, a person, that was not his to gaze upon. A stranger. Like gazing upon a stranger.

There was a time when he would cry because someone hurt his feelings. There had been a time where he would sob from scraping his knee on the concrete outside.

Trivial.

He would've laughed at that sobbing child. Oh would he laugh! He would laugh so hard, so long, cracking up at nothing. Nothing to others, that is. But it would just be so ironic. To see his younger self, much younger self. Or even who he was 400 years ago. If he had told that person that this was the world he would end up in, he would've denied it. "Things would never turn out that badly." He would say.

And how wrong he would be.

He clawed his fingers into the dirt, staring at the gray sky. It was so lonely. Did it ever wish it could touch us? Just once. So close, so far, but so _touchable._ It would be so easy. To reach out. But it couldn't. Just as he couldn't. And the sheer cruelty of looking upon the thing you most desire in the world, yet unable to touch it, was astounding. It flooded him with disbelief. Every day. Every single day. Not much surprised him anymore. But he would never understand this. He never wanted to.

Tears filled his eyes. He was doomed. It was true. It was so very true. How doomed was he, how horrible, how dead, how miserable, how convoluted! It was devastating and yet… it was… okay. It was all okay.

And it would continue to be okay.

Because this was the world of nothing but one.

One.

Him.

Spriggan.

Cursed.

Emperor.

Evil.

Wizard.

Zeref.

Zeref.

Zeref… And that's all.

Zeref…

"Zeref." He felt like crying out. Like sobbing, his heart hurt so much. He couldn't. No. No. No! It couldn't be. His name echoed in his ears, bile rising in his throat. Voices and screams of pain and blood. Red, pale hands, soaked in blood. It wasn't fair! It just wasn't fair! Why?

Why did they get to haunt him?

Why wasn't he allowed to be angry?

Why didn't he get to ask anything?

Why didn't he get to ask them why the haunted him for something he didn't mean to do, something he couldn't stop no matter if he wanted to or not. Why they drove him to this. Why they drove him to this world.

He wanted to scream, he did. It hurt, sobs, no… please… help… _I need you…_

"Zeref."

Zeref's eyes flew open and he sat up, tears streaming down his face. It didn't surprise him. Normally he would be angry with himself for feeling these things. But this morning, he was just relieved that wasn't the future he lived in. But what disturbed him more, was that it could've been… "Zeref, are you okay?"

He nodded. He always nodded.

But like always, his brother knew he wasn't really.

"Another dream?"

Nightmare.

"Yes." He said blankly.

"Did I die again?"

"No. You didn't. Or, in a way, I suppose you did. But that wasn't what was so terrible about it." Natsu snorted but he didn't correct what he said. "The world was empty. Completely empty. The only thing left was dirt. Everything else was barren, there was nothing. I was alone… I was left alone, to live alone, forever…"

"Doesn't it just make you gladder it's a dream?" he nodded.

"It does."

He felt his brothers stare on him for a long time and then arms and Zeref couldn't help but cry. He didn't even know why exactly, just that he needed it. But the lapse in self-control ended rather quickly, even though Natsu still held him after.

Zeref could feel his back rubbed, but barely registered the gentle touches. "You're gonna be okay." Natsu said.

"I love you." Zeref answered.

"… That's disgusting, you're not supposed to say it out loud but… I… feel the same."

"Heh, you can't even say the words."

"No, 'cause I'm not a sappy romantic like you are."

"I guess you're not… thanks, Natsu."

"For what?"

He sniffed, "You have no idea what you do… just by being alive."

* * *

 **A/N Poor Zeref, it was just a dream, but still. This was originally going to just be the state of the world but I had absolutely NO idea how to end it, so I made it a dream because why the heck not?**

 **To Werva: I'm sorry there was no kiss last chapter but with it following closely to cannon it wouldn't make sense for Zeref NOT to do everything in his power to keep Natsu from kissing him. And thanks for your reviews!**

 **To Werva (also. And anyone else who happens to be interested) if you want MORE Zeref x Natsu... not sure if they have a ship name... but I have written a multi-chapter focusing on the pairing. "The Devil and Me". Not your thing, whatever. But just in case you're interested.**

 **Sorry for the long A/N, but thanks for reading this little oneshot. Hope you found it enjoyable. Don't know when this will be next updated though... but see you then! Bye!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Tommorw is St. Patrick's day and Natsu wants to pinch his brother. Unfortunately the tables are horrorifically turned on him.**

* * *

"Hey Zeref, you'd better wear green tomorrow." Natsu said.

"Why?" Zeref asked.

"Because if you don't I'm gonna pinch ya." Natsu smirked. Zeref frowned slightly.

"You'd better not…"

"Well then you should wear green! Tomorrow's St. Patrick's Day ya ding dong!"

"Don't insult me." Zeref scowled. "I'll kill you."

Natsu didn't doubt it.

That night, the two brothers went to sleep and the next morning, Zeref came down and much to Natsu's dismay, he was wearing a green sweatshirt.

He yawned and stared at Natsu. "How come you're not wearing green?"

"Ah…"

Natsu glanced nervously around and then bolted toward the door. "Hey! Get back here! I'm gonna pinch you!"

"You'll never take me alive!"

* * *

 **A/N I know, totally short but meh. There isn't much to do for this holiday... also, I wrote this at midnight last night along with another oneshot I'm posting later today which isn't as... sweet. Anyway, hope you liked the new update (finally) reviews/follows/favs all appreciated. Thanks for reading, I'll see you again about five pm today. Bye!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail**

 **Summary: Zeref learns he doesn't have to be afraid.**

* * *

The hardest thing in his life, was loving someone he knew would never love him back. It was the most painful kind of emptiness, a meaningless emptiness, an empty emptiness. The kind that swallowed him whole as he was left to wonder if the world was worth it. Or if everything should be destroyed in more meaningless wars and deaths.

There was silence when they met again. Complete and utter silence, yet he could hear a million words echoing in the empty space. Words of love and hate. Long words, short words, warm words, cold ones too. All said without a word.

And the world kept moving. Like such words, actions, and thoughts were meaningless. The deaths of others engraved in the few, mourned in the few, and forgotten everywhere else. Long, long forgotten. It was impossible to mourn a person who had never existed in one's life to begin with, wasn't it?

That's why people would strive for greatness, for fame. For power. To be remembered, to be feared, to be invincible. Like any human, he naturally wanted these things as well, along with validation, kindness, and serenity. Unlike most, he was not allowed both. No, he wasn't allowed either.

He had expected death to feel cold. To feel wrong, to be swift, to be over. It wasn't. Death, true death felt hot and messy and hurt like hell, even if only for an instant. His nerves were on fire, it hurt terribly, but in the end it didn't matter. In the end, he would stop, he would die, all would be gone, and the much greater pain in his tortured soul would vanish. And he would be forgotten, perhaps more so then any other human on Earth. For unlike most he would be mourned by none, for he had never existed in anyone's life to begin with.

The world seemed black and white, filled with nothing but the void. Black dots in his vision, labored breathing and thoughts of all the things he'd done. The years flashed before his eyes as he allowed himself to remember the pain. Always the pain. He allowed himself to feel this, just to convince himself that death was wanted, death was welcome, despite every fiber of his being screaming at him to stay alive, to try and survive.

Nothing was left for him in the world, but that didn't stop him from clinging on to every last shred of the broken pieces of his soul that connected him to the earth. It didn't stop him from wanting to live, it didn't stop him from being human.

It didn't stop his heart from hurting, it didn't stop the cuts, the jagged edges of what remained, it didn't stop, it never would. Burning in hell did not seem so bad as of now, for at least he would understand he deserved it.

All he'd ever wanted was love and peace. But this world gave and dropped war countless times on his doorstep, so what to do but give in to his destiny and become the monster everyone including himself already knew he was.

And in the moments of hot, fiery pain, he couldn't help but smile for this was the only thing he wanted, the only thing he was allowed to want, the only thing he deserved. "Zeref…" a voice that rose above the darkness, the voice that dragged him back to the present, away from thoughts of his destruction. The voice… "You are my brother, aren't you? You're not lying?"

He had nothing to gain by lying. But he could not speak, couldn't confirm or deny, but in the silence all that needed to be said, was. "I didn't think you were." He said softly. "You say you want to die. I don't believe it for a second." Zeref would've laughed if he could. Of course he didn't want death, he'd rather live his life in peace and he'd rather destroy the world than live this way. "I can see the need to live in your eyes. I can see you're afraid."

Was he mocking him? Zeref didn't know. "But… you're even more afraid to continue living, aren't you? All you are is afraid. That's why you've done all this. You're scared."

Natsu sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. Zeref didn't confirm or deny this, though Natsu was indeed correct. Zeref was scared. Scared of living, scared of dying, scared of existing. He had been scared for so long though, he was tired of that, which was why he decided he'd die in this war. Anything else and he would break under everything. He didn't want to break. Didn't want to give Ankhersam the satisfaction. "We're all scared of dying, Zeref. And we're scared with our lives too. It's normal to feel that way, but we have people to help us get through the darkness, to help us not feel so afraid…." He paused. "And I know it's a little late… but I'm here for you right now."

He grabbed Zeref's hand and squeezed. "And from now on I promise I'll always be right here." He smiled lightly.

"P-pr-se…"

"Promise, yes. Promise. I promise. I will not leave you alone. Not ever again."

Not alone, huh? "But in return, you've gotta promise to save me a spot in hell."

Natsu took his silence as a yes, though he really couldn't have answered any other way. "Thank you for everything, Zeref. I'm sorry things had to end up like this, and I bet you're sorry too. But that's just how life goes. But at least you don't have to be afraid of life or death any longer."

And at last, Zeref closed his eyes, for the first time not feeling an ounce of fear. Oddly enough there was nothing to be afraid of. Death felt like a warm, kind smile after hundreds of years of nothing.

* * *

 **A/N Meh, a little longer than the last, but not even a thousand words still XD at least this time it's close. So, I'm probably not the only one who looks at Fairytail Memes a lot so I was wondering if you've seen the one where it's like,**

 **Zeref: I have an army**

 **Makarov: Fangirls don't count.**

 **I always find it totally hilarious because I might be apart of Zeref's army if that's the case... haha... *wonders for a moment what I'm doing with my life* anyway, whoever created that, like a million kudos and thanks so much for posting it for the world to see! It makes me laugh like, every time. And if you guys have not seen the meme yet, you have not lived a full life. Anyway, thanks for reading. I was kind of in a depressing mood last night after looking at a bunch of tragic writing prompts, so... this is the result. I hope you enjoyed reviews/follows/favs are all appreciated. I'll see you again... another time. Bye!**


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail**

 **Summary: Lucy calls Zeref and tells him that his favorite ice cream shop is closing and that today was the very last day it was open! Can Zeref get there in time before his favorite ice cream shop closes forever? And are Natsu and his friends planning something? What will happen to them?**

* * *

"Zeref, we have terrible news." Lucy said over the phone."

"What?" Zeref asked suspiciously.

"That ice cream shop you love so much. You know, Magnolia's ice cream. It's closing!"

"No!" Zeref cried.

"This is the last day it's open! Come on, come on, come on! You have to get over here so we can have some ice cream! Natsu and Mavis are already here! Hurry! It will close in an hour!"

"I'm coming." Zeref said quickly, hung up, grabbed his coat, and ran out the door. He had stupidly let Gray borrow his car today so he could go on a stupid date. Now his favorite ice cream place could close and he wouldn't even get one last ice cream if he didn't run there in time!

Zeref had never run so fast in his entire life, accidentally knocking into several people and handed out lots of apologies which slowed him down! Zeref cut through some alleys, running into two gangs who threatened to kill them. "Out of my way! This is for ice cream!" Zeref shouted and smacked one of the guys knives out of his hand before pushing him aside and continued running. Zeref panted as he ran, running into a nice-looking woman, with her hair all done up. Zeref apologized, "I'm so sorry!" and kept running. Zeref looked around and spotted his brother, his girlfriend, and Lucy just around the corner.

That was when he sprinted with energy he didn't even know he had. "Natsu! Lucy! Mavis!" he shouted, panting he literally threw himself on top of his brother.

"Please tell me I'm not too late!" Zeref REALLY loved ice cream.

Natsu chuckled. "Nah bro, you're not too late. We just needed to find a way to get you out of the house." Zeref blinked in confusion his eyebrows furrowed. "Also, we needed to find a way to make you exercise of your own free will."

"The power of ice cream compels me." Was all Zeref said.

"I know, that's why we told you the ice cream place was closing down, even though it's not."

"It's… not?"

Then, all of Natsu's friends, including Gray who had partly caused him to actually run, popped out from around the sides of the building. "April Fools!" they all shouted.

"Huh?... You guys, lied?" he asked.

"Yeah, kind of." Natsu rubbed his head sheepishly.

"I didn't. I really am going on a date with Juvia. Everyone else just happens to be here too." Gray said.

"So… this is a joke?"

"Uh… yeah?" Natsu said.

Zeref blinked, stared for a few minutes, and then sighed in relief. Thank the Gods." He said. "Well, now that I know my favorite ice cream shop isn't closing down I've got news for you… I'm going to kill you all!"

They all screamed and ran away from him as quickly as they could possibly manage whist Zeref glared at their backs. Zeref sighed and then happily went inside the store to get a scoop of his very favorite ice cream from his very favorite ice cream shop. The ice cream shop that most certainly wasn't closing down any time soon, considering Zeref's very favorite ice cream, happened to be all the flavors of his very favorite ice cream place, so they had good business that day. Oh, and Zeref didn't share a single bite with anyone else, and they were forced to get their own. "April Fools." Zeref said happily.

"April Fools what?" Natsu asked.

"I would've let you have some of mine. Too bad you guys already all bought your own. So, April Fools!"

"… Zeref!" but Zeref wasn't even listening.

* * *

 **A/N This was something I wrote in literally 10 minutes. The hardest part, was coming up with the April Fools prank and the rest just sort of followed. I almost forgot about April Fools day, so I'm glad I realized before it was too late! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed, because i had fun writing it. Reviews/favs/follows all appreciated. I'll see you guys soon! Bye!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Natsu has an annual Star Wars marathon on May the 4th, but unfortunately, his brother (who doesn't like Star Wars) is coming over, but Natsu is determined to watch his marathon anyway.**

* * *

May the 4th was Natsu's annual Star Wars marathon. That was just how it was. Ever since he was a little kid it had always been dragons and Star Wars. Unfortunately for him, this May 4th his brother was coming over to visit. Don't get him wrong, Natsu loved his brother, but the problem was that his brother didn't like Star Wars in the least.

At one point he'd given in and Natsu convinced him to watch the first movie, only for him to fall asleep ten minutes in. Natsu would've been able to convince himself that this was just because it was late, except he couldn't because it was in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday.

Natsu was waiting at the airport for his brother, and his brother's girlfriend (Mavis, who wasn't an uncultured hooligan like his brother and who also liked Star Wars). "Natsu!" he was pulled out of his thoughts by that said girlfriend shouting his name and rushing over to him. "Mavis!" Zeref cried, trying to keep up with her, as he grabbed the suitcase she had left in her excitement and rushed over. "Please tell me just because Zeref's an idiot doesn't mean we have to miss out on Star Wars on the 4th of all days!"

"What's so special about the 4th?" Zeref asked confusedly.

Mavis just groaned. "Ignore him." she said.

"No, don't ignore me!"

"I've already explained it five times and you tune me out half way through the explanation, which need I remind you, is five seconds long!"

"Right, fine, whatever. Let's go!"

Natsu and Zeref were dragged out of the airport by Mavis, who was so excited Natsu honestly doubted whether a tornado would stop her or not. Mavis was a hard core Star Wars fan, maybe even more so than Natsu (and Natsu was really into it). In fact, Natsu would go so far as to say Mavis liked Star Wars as much as Zeref hated it (and Zeref really hated it).

They hopped in Natsu's car and Natsu drove as fast as he could while obeying all the traffic laws. He couldn't get arrested before he went home and watched his marathon, right? "Must you two really spend all day watching such frivolous and ridiculous things?"

They both gasped and looked at Zeref, appalled, almost as if he was corrupted by the devil. And all the two of them could do was glance at each other, sigh, and murmur a silent prayer. "May the 4th be with you…"

* * *

 **A/N here's another holiday special. I don't really like Star Wars to be honest but I don't mind people who do. In fact some of my best friends like Star Wars, so whether you do or do not like it, it doesn't really matter to me. Also, I do not own Star Wars and I'm really tired. So I'll see you guys later. Reviews/favs/follows are all appreciated. Bye!**


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

 **Summary: Zeref's home for Easter and he is enlisted by his father to be... what, the Easter Bunny!**

* * *

It was April 21st, Easter. "You have got to be kidding me." Zeref said.

"Nope, I'm not kidding in the slightest." Igneel said, holding up the costume. Zeref scowled and shook his head.

"No." was all he said. Igneel glared.

"Don't you remember? You owe me Zeref. Now just do this for your brother. I'll pay you!... 20! I'll pay you a whole 20 dollars!" Zeref rolled his eyes. It was free twenty dollars. But he got paid more than that after two hours of work. He sighed.

"Fine." Zeref said. Igneel looked relieved. Zeref sighed, he couldn't believe he was doing this. Just as Zeref closed the door to his bedroom Natsu started hopping down the steps, excited because today, he, Lucy, Erza, and even that stupid Gray, were all going Easter egg hunting together. Igneel had even said that the Easter bunny was going to make an official appearance. Natsu was so excited. He couldn't believe it! He was going to see the Easter bunny for the first time ever!

"Morning daddy." Natsu said. Igneel smiled at his youngest son.

"Good morning, my little dragon. Finally awake I see." Natsu pouted and then started bouncing.  
"Is the Easter bunny here yet?" he asked.

"He will be very soon. Daddy's already called him, and the Easter bunny is on his way." Natsu looked around.

"Where's Zeref?" he asked curiously.

"Nowhere!" Igneel said a little too quickly and then gave a small, nervous chuckle. "I mean… nowhere." He said more calmly. Natsu was still a little suspicious but shrugged and went on his little merry way.

"You have got to be kidding me." Zeref said as he walked down the stairs. "This is utterly ridiculous." Igneel turned around and spit out his coffee and started coughing. Zeref only stood at the foot of the stairs and scowled.

"You look…" Igneel trailed off.

"Ludicrous?"

"Aaaaaadorable!" Igneel exclaimed. "I just want to squeeze you to death!"

"Did you have to say it in a creepy way?" Zeref asked. Igneel shrugged. In his opinion, what he'd said wasn't the least bit disturbing. "Really? You have nothing to say for yourself?"

"Nope." Zeref rolled his eyes. "Believe me. Once you get out there and see those little faces light up, it will all be worth it!" Igneel assured him.

"Doubtful." Zeref said blatantly.

"I'll take it. You didn't say impossible, so I will take what I can get!" Igneel said happily. Zeref groaned.

"Whatever."

"Anyway, let's get out there!"

"Well, who's coming anyway?"

"Oh well, Erza and Mrs. Scarlet. Gray and Mr. Fullbuster, and Lucy and her sister, Mavis. She goes to your school, doesn't she?" Zeref paled.

"No. there's no way I'm doing this now." Zeref said and turned around.

"WAIT, NO!" Igneel cried. "I'll pay you… uh… fifty!" Zeref turned back around.

"I'm listening."

"Um… I'll pay you 60!"

"Getting there."

"Alright, alright! I'll pay you 100."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Igneel said, crossing his heart. Zeref sighed.

"Oh, alright. I guess I'll do it then." Igneel's eyes lit up.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he cried. "You will not regret this! You are going to make those kids so happy!"

"Shut up before I change my mind." Zeref grumbled. He knew he shouldn't have come home for something as minor as Easter. He should've known his dad would rope him into something tasteless and humiliating. Zeref worked up all the courage he had and stepped outside. Maybe Mavis wouldn't even come. Then there'd be no problem. Although, maybe she wouldn't even know it was him! but… it was kind of obvious. And his dad would no doubt, shout it to everyone he knew. And that included Mavis. Zeref sighed and put the head on. At least it was well made.

Then, he went outside. There, it was absolute pandemonium. There were only 4 kids, but they ran and screamed after each other. Zeref flinched and glared at his father. Igneel KNEW Zeref hated loud noises, parties, and virtually anything social. Oh, and he did NOT look adorable.

When Natsu saw him, he screamed. Zeref stood there shocked and wondered for and instant if he looked terrifying. **"IT'S THE EASTER BUNNY!"** Natsu shrieked. Zeref flinched again as Natsu barreled into him, knocking him over. The Easter basket in his hand went flying. Thankfully Igneel caught it and all the eggs didn't go rolling out. "ARE YOU GOING TO HIDE THE EASTER EGGS? HOW COME YOU ONLY COME ONCE A YEAR? DO YOU KNOW SANTA? ARE YOU REALLY THE EASTER BUNNY?"

"Uh…" Zeref though, soon learned that these questions were rhetorical.

"You hide the eggs! We'll close our eyes real tight!" he cried.

"Alright, no peeking." Zeref said. Natsu blinked at him.

"Why do you sound like my brother." Zeref opened his mouth to answer, and then realized he didn't have one. Thankfully, he didn't need to because Natsu had already moved on. "I guess you just have the same voice. Oh well, who knew the Easter bunny had a girly voice." They all shrugged. Zeref glared. His voice was not girly was it? Don't kill them, Zeref thought.

"Okay, I'm going to hide the eggs now." Zeref said.

 **"** **OKAY!"** They all screamed. Zeref flinched and went to go hide the eggs. When he was done all the kids started screaming and running.

"HEY! Z-E-R-E-F!" Igneel cried. "Mavis wants to talk to you." Zeref's eyes landed on the petite woman just behind Igneel. He gulped and glared at his dad who shrugged.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Mavis asked. Zeref slowly nodded and then realized she couldn't see inside of his rabbit costume.

"Um, sure." Zeref said and she led him by the hand away. Zeref took off his head piece so he could look at her. she blushed.

"I almost wish you'd kept that on. It would be easier to confess." Zeref blinked. Confess? What did she do? she took a deep breath and let it out. "Zeref, I like you. I've liked you for a long time and the reason I came here with Lucy today was to finally own-up to something I was too scared to admit in high school… and I understand if you don't have the same feelings as me. I still want to be friends, but I just had to tell you, so I didn't feel like something was hanging over my head for the rest of my life." she gave a nervous laugh.

"Oh…" Zeref said quietly. His throat was constricting. He wanted to tell her, he needed to tell her, but he just wouldn't speak. "I-I like you too!" he blurted, probably a little too loud. She blinked at him and then giggled.

"That's good I guess. I honestly thought you were gonna think I was weird." She gave another laugh. "But I'm glad to know I didn't have to go with my second option." She said. Zeref raised an eyebrow.

"Second option?" Zeref asked.

"The person I was going to confess to if you said no." Zeref blinked at her.

"Oh… well, do you like him better?" Mavis rolled her eyes.

"If I liked him better I would've confessed to him first, dummy." She said with a giggle. Zeref nodded dumbly. Mavis bit her lip. She looked cute, he wanted to kiss her. just as he thought this Mavis stood on tip-toe and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. She pulled away blushing furiously. It made Zeref feel like a love-sick high schooler instead of a young adult in college. She waved goodbye and then ran off with a red face.

Later that night, when Natsu was about to go to sleep, his younger brother was telling him all about the Easter bunny. Apparently, it was the best thing in the world. Zeref was smiling and nodding. He supposed it WAS kind of nice to know that he had been the one to be responsible for that look of pure joy. "It sounds like you had an eventful day." Natsu yawned and nodded.

"Yeah, it was great." Zeref smoothed his covers down and kissed his forehead. "It's sad you had to miss it."

"Yeah?"  
"Yeah." Natsu flipped over and burrowed under his covers. Zeref sat there, watching for a moment longer, slightly wishing that he was the small child in that bed. It was wishful thinking he knew, but it was nice.

"Goodnight Natsu."

"Night." Zeref then stood up and went back downstairs. Igneel looked up from his work.

"Hello." Igneel said, grinning. "So, tell me, was it worth it? To see how happy, he was." Zeref rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. I guess." He grumbled and then flicked his eyes up. "But it's not like that's going to get you out of handing me that 100." Zeref said. Igneel pouted.

"I was hoping you'd forget."

"Wishful thinking." Zeref said. Igneel scowled and slowly got up and went to get his wallet.

Igneel returned and opened the wallet and started sifting through its contents. "You are happy that you came back for the holiday though, yes?"

"Yes." Zeref said with a sigh. Igneel grinned.

"Good, no changing your mind now." Zeref raised an eyebrow. Igneel gave Zeref a bill. Zeref looked at it. It was a one-dollar bill. "There you are now, 100 cents." Zeref blinked at the dollar confused, before realizing his father never said he'd give him $100, just that he'd give him 100. By the time this clicked Igneel had already slammed his bedroom door and locked it. Zeref stood there for a few more seconds before lividly rushing to the door and threatening to break it down.

 **"** **DAAAAD!"**

* * *

 **A/N Shoot, I totally forgot about Easter. Oh well. Thanks for reading reviews/favs/follows all appreciated.**


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